Latest news with #CHOC
IOL News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Comrades Marathon runners chipped in with over R6 million for local charities
The CHOC Cows were looking udderly amoozing at their water point in Hillcrest. Image: Supplied This year's Comrades Marathon not only saw thousands of runners pounding the pavement from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, but it also became a powerful catalyst for change, raising over R6 million through the Comrades Marathon Association's Amabeadibeadi Charity Drive. The funds generated during Sunday's event will benefit six deserving charities, each represented by passionate participants aimed at making a difference in their communities. Since its inception in 1996, the Amabeadibeadi initiative has been integral in supporting vital organisations, including the Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa (CHOC), SANParks Honorary Rangers, Community Chest, Rise Against Hunger, Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust (HACT), and Childline KwaZulu-Natal. CHOC has emerged as a leading beneficiary this year with R2.5 million raised, thanks in large part to the enthusiasm of the runners known as the "CHOC Cows." Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Manager Jayde McCarthy expressed pride in the fundraising effort. 'We did super well with our cows being absolutely amoozing!' she said. McCarthy highlighted the remarkable contribution of fundraiser Ida van de Wetering, who single-handedly secured R165,000. 'It's incredibly motivating to consider that we are running on behalf of children battling cancer,' she added. The CHOC Cows at their water point in Hillcrest during the Comrades Marathon. Image: Supplied The festive mood at the CHOC water station in Hillcrest was palpable, where participants and supporters danced, mooed, and shared joy with high fives and hugs. 'Our sponsor, Balwin, made that spot possible, and we are so grateful!' McCarthy exclaimed, as vibrant cow prints adorned the space. The SANParks Honorary Rangers team at their watering hole in Camperdown. Image: SANParks Honorary Rangers/ Facebook This year marked the second occasion that SANParks Honorary Rangers participated in the marathon, with representative Peter Zietsman sharing insights about their commitments: 'Due to financial limitations, we have certain capital expenditure requirements that cannot be met. Events like these allow us to fill those gaps for SANParks to achieve its objectives in terms of community responsibilities.' Their watering hole, featuring two grand blow-up elephants, served as a reminder of their mission to protect South Africa's natural heritage. Community Chest's executive director, Gordon McDonald, also spoke passionately about their purpose for the funds raised. 'The money will be spent on early childhood development because there's a critical problem with children not receiving enough early education,' he explained. The Community Chest team at their refreshment station. Image: Community Chest/ Facebook With a focus on offering nutritious food and stimulating educational programmes, Community Chest supports approximately 7,800 children daily in vulnerable areas around Pietermaritzburg and Durban. Their refreshment station, strategically placed 1.5 km from the finish line, became a point of encouragement for runners along the challenging route.
Los Angeles Times
16-05-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Employees spearhead project at CHOC to encourage bonding with one another
Part of Monica Gil's new-hire orientation at Children's Hospital of Orange County earlier this month involved a photo session. A meaningful message she chose was written on her right bicep with a marker — which was followed by a quick photo shoot. Gil chose '¡Si Se Puede!' 'I love the project of Dear Hospital. It was really cool,' Gil said. 'And I wrote 'Si Se Puede,' which means 'Yes You Can' because I think you can turn anything into positive. And anything you want, you can do it. 'I have a son and I can teach him the same thing. That anything you want to do, you can make it happen.' The photo session is part of a larger project called Dear Hospital that was spearheaded by three CHOC employees as a way to encourage connection, camaraderie and mental health awareness among hospital employees. The idea sprouted from the American Assn. of Critical-Care Nurses' National Teaching Institute conference in May 2022 attended by Jennifer Hayakawa, CHOC's director of Nursing Research and Innovation. It was the first in-person nursing conference after the pandemic. Hayakawa was interested to see how the conference would inspire nurses experiencing burnout, defeat and isolation post-pandemic. The Institute partnered with Dear World storytelling company, which led the nurses at the conference through a unique experience. 'We wrote the short, meaningful messages on each other and as we did that and stood in line, people opened up to each other,' Hayakawa said. 'We shared stories, we cried, we laughed, we bonded and we healed. And I was just so in awe of what happened and the power of that, that I was like, 'How do I bottle it up and bring it back to CHOC?' Because I know, our nurses felt that way as well.' On her return to the hospital in Orange, Hayakawa pitched it to her chief nurse and was allowed to move forward with finding funding and working with Dear World to customize the program to a hospital setting — which hadn't been done before. They received a $100,000 grant from #FirstRespondersFirst, a fund sponsored by the Entertainment Industry Foundation as part of the campaign ALL IN: Well-Being First for Healthcare. They began the program with the CHOC executive management team and continued with the nurses. 'And then we expanded and expanded and now it's part of clinical orientation, so all of the new hires that are taking care of patients and families are all onboarded with this experience — so we do it every two weeks,' Hayakawa said. With the help of Dear World, Hayakawa and CHOC Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator Paulina Schuhler learned how to take the photography — which is in black and white — and conduct the sessions, which also involve getting the participant's personal story. With licensing and certification from Dear World, they eventually hired from within CHOC and trained 10 storytellers who facilitate the sessions. They also eventually partnered with Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts to have student photography interns take the photos. Part of customizing the program to a hospital setting included designing the sessions so that employees could have the experience and then continue on with their work of caring for patients and families. 'We had to really put some guardrails around the experience to get them to tell more joyful stories to still be deep and meaningful, but to do it in a safer way that allows them to continue with their day to day,' Hayakawa said. 'We'll still sometimes get trauma unleashed — it happens. And we actually have incorporated that into a discussion about mental health. We use those in onboarding to say, 'You know what we do here is tough and it's OK to not be OK.' And here are the resources and support system that are available to you as an employee or as a member of the community as well. Because that's an important conversation to have.' As the program has developed, the Dear Hospital team works with different departments and groups. For new-hire orientation, the sessions focus on CHOC values to develop stories, but the team also continues to do two-hour sessions for retreats and groups like social workers and frontline nurses. 'Most recently our patients and families have started doing it,' Hayakawa said. They partnered with the Child Life team to target adolescents and young adults, and had them reflect on inner strengths. 'At that age a lot of them are struggling to find their inner strengths and to talk about themselves in a positive way,' Hayakawa said. 'So that exercise in and of itself was really good. But then they were able to pull stories from their healthcare journey that reflect on those inner strengths. It was a really meaningful experience for them. We had a really good time with that. We've been featuring some of those stories.' Another element of Dear Hospital now is a pop-up exhibit that happens quarterly and displays the photos and stories of participants in the hospital lobby for about a week. The first exhibit was in September 2024. Their third exhibit was nurse-themed and ended May 9, taking place in time for National Nurses Week. They also had a mini version of the exhibit at CHOC at Mission Hospital. With more than 1,800 participants since the program launched, the Dear Hospital team has plenty of stories to tell. The next exhibit takes place in July. During the photography sessions, messages — also known as 'brain tattoos' — are written where the participants choose on their body with a skin-safe marker. The ink can be removed with baby wipes following the session. At the recent pop-up exhibit at CHOC's Orange location, messages like 'Invisible, I See You,' 'It's OK to be Different' and 'Here to Serve' were featured on participants' arms and hands in the large black-and-white photos. Hayakawa said they've had participants have messages on the face, neck, chest (where it's not too revealing) and stomach. Some participants might cover their face for the photo. 'The pop-up kind of serves as a purpose to share what we do,' said Rebecca DeAnda, department assistant for Nursing Research and Innovation. 'We can choose from this huge collection of photos we have and feature some of those but also give some representation for what Dear Hospital is. And so it has brought a lot of new departments who are interested.' DeAnda said the program has been very well received and helps break down barriers. 'We all have something important to say,' she said. 'And something that is important to me should matter. Having that connection and fellowship is really at the core of what we do at CHOC and why it makes this special.' At the May 6 photo session, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Nurse Nichole Johnson chose 'Powered by Purpose' as the message on her arm. 'Part of it is the reason why I still work in the ICU, the reason why I still do what I do,' Johnson said. 'ICU is a hard place to work and I Iove it. Yeah, it gives me purpose to work there.'
News24
08-05-2025
- Health
- News24
Inspired by young patients' courage, man battling cancer runs 21km for foundation
Aadam Forgan completed a half marathon in 1 hour 57 minutes, just a week after chemotherapy. His campaign for CHOC raised more than R36 000, exceeding the initial goal of R20 000. Supported by his family, including his sister, who is also battling cancer, Forgan's journey reflects the power of unity and gratitude. Battling stage 4 colorectal cancer, 43-year-old Aadam Forgan completed the gruelling 21km Outeniqua Half Marathon in 1 hour 57 minutes - just a week after chemotherapy - with the courage of young cancer patients inspiring every step. On 26 April, he ran the marathon and has raised more than R36 000. Despite undergoing chemotherapy a week before the race and major liver surgery mere months ago, he completed the gruelling race. 'The reason that I did this was that at the start, I had an urge to do something for the kids who are fighting cancer, [after] my own experience going through it as well. You can imagine, as a kid, it must be quite overwhelming,' Forgan said. Diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer alongside his sister between 2022 and 2023, Forgan's resilience and determination shine as he prepares for his third year of chemotherapy. While in a personal battle for survival and waiting to find out if he qualifies for a liver transplant, Forgan has chosen to not only focus on his fight but to extend hope to others, particularly children battling cancer. 'I committed to do the race even though I had chemotherapy the week before the race actually went ahead. So, I wasn't feeling 100% strongest on the day, but I still gave it my best shot. And I think I did pretty well,' he said. 'I just kind of kept the cancer kids in my mind when I was going up the hills. I was using the memory of what I'd shared and what I'd seen in those kids to motivate me to get up the hills.' It was a family affair for the Forgan clan, who stood united to support him. He said: My wife was with me on the day of the race; she dropped me at the start. My sister also ran with me. She's also going through cancer at the moment, and it's just been nice having her there with me. Initially targeting R20 000, Forgan's campaign surpassed expectations by raising more than R36 000 for the Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa (CHOC). 'I was really overwhelmed with the response. The messages that came through were just so inspiring and motivating. 'I'm glad that people saw the need for what I was raising awareness on and that they could see that it's an important initiative. It's about making a difference, no matter how small,' he said. As Forgan crossed the finish line of the half marathon, his wife, Mariam, stood proudly by his side. READ | Teen chooses Robben Island Escape swim for school project - and raises R26k for hope 'I think it's beautiful because healing is multifaceted. So when a person is going through illness or any trials and tribulations in life, the best thing to bring you out of your own negative state of mind is to give and to focus on what you have and not what you don't have,' she said. 'The gratitude that you receive when you give and when you focus on all the blessings rather than the struggles is one of the most important parts of healing.' Mariam, a dietitian, said she remembered the moment Forgan told her of his plans to run, despite his health challenges. 'When he told me, I thought, 'That's a miracle, go for it. You're just an instrument in a bigger picture, in any case'. It was obviously divinely inspired,' she added. 'I support him by making the meals that are nutritionally complete for him daily because his body is going through a lot, and he needs to have the right fuel.' As the fundraising campaign exceeded expectations, Mariam said her heart was filled with gratitude. 'It's all by God, the amount that came in because it's going towards CHOC. And my heart was full because it supports others that are maybe going through this and don't have the financial means… We're all supporting each other on the journey through life,' she added.
IOL News
30-04-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Cape Town father runs half marathon for little cancer warriors, while battling stage 4 cancer himself
Aadam Forgan with his son after the race Image: Supplied Aadam Forgan has run for the children whose laughter and sobs echo through the curtains of the oncology ward — young lives battling cancer just metres away from where he receives chemotherapy. On 26 April 2025, the 43-year-old father from Cape Town's Deep South completed the Outeniqua Half Marathon in the Wilderness, all while fighting stage 4 colorectal cancer, to raise money and awareness for the Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa (CHOC). Diagnosed in 2023, just months after his sister was found to have stage 3 colorectal cancer, Forgan said his life changed almost overnight. 'The doctors told our family we should all get screened. I had no symptoms — nothing — but the colonoscopy showed stage 4 cancer and 18 metastases in my liver. I couldn't believe it.' He has since undergone major surgery and continues to face chemotherapy sessions lasting up to eight hours. 'When I go in for chemo, there's a kids' section nearby. Sometimes I hear them laugh through the curtain. Other times I hear them cry. I usually unplug my IV pole, walk over to the window with six drips attached, and just let my own tears fall quietly. I don't want to disturb anyone. But those kids — they never leave my thoughts.' Despite the physical toll of treatment, Forgan has trained consistently since undergoing surgery last November. 'Running gives me hope,' he said. 'It's not just exercise — it's proof that I've survived. Every step tells me I'm still here. And I wanted to do something with that hope. I wanted to give it away.' He launched a BackaBuddy campaign in April to raise funds for CHOC and has already raised over R31,500 from 47 donors — well over his original target of R20,000. 'It didn't matter if I raised R100 or R10,000,' he said. 'I just believed that if I dropped a pebble of hope, maybe it could ripple outwards and help someone else.' Aadam lives for his son and the many cancer warriors Image: Supplied Speaking after the race, Forgan shared: 'The route was beautiful, and I managed a modest time of 1:57. I'd promised myself I'd keep running on every climb. When my body started to hurt, I thought about the kids I'd seen in chemo — about their families and their daily struggles. Like in a race, the pain builds, but you just keep going. You don't give up.' Forgan, who runs a construction company and mentors young tradespeople, said resilience has shaped his life from a young age. After losing a kidney at 14, he turned to surfing and later running to stay grounded. 'I've always believed that if you work hard and believe in yourself, anything is possible. There's no shortcut. Just grit and belief.' He now hopes to qualify for a liver transplant — and until then, he said he'll keep running for others who can't. 'This campaign isn't about me,' he said. 'It's a way of saying thank you to those who've supported me, and of giving something back to the kids still fighting.' 'I'm so grateful to everyone who's donated or sent a message. You've helped me find purpose in this pain. That means the world to me.' Forgan's campaign, Keep Hope Alive, is still open for donations via BackaBuddy: [email protected] Weekend Argus
