Spread the word, Spread Hope this WORD day

Spread the WORD, Spread Hope!

The division of Paediatric Rheumatology and Immunology at Tygerberg Hospital is proud to host its first ever World Young Rheumatic Diseases Day (WORD) day ‪on the 18th of March 2020‬ in C3a ‪between 9am and 3 pm‬.

WORD Day is an annual event organized since 2019 by the international networks of Paediatric Rheumatology European Society (PReS) and this year in partnership with C3a POPD- Tygerberg Hospital, the Tygerberg Children’s Trust, Andrea’s Gift Lupus Foundation, Arthritis kids South Africa (AKSA) and the Arthritis Foundation of South Africa (AFSA).

The ultimate goal is to encourage early diagnosis of rheumatic conditions in young children with immediate referrals to specialist paediatric rheumatologists. WORD will be used to raise the awareness and knowledge levels of patients, parents, doctors, primary practitioners, teachers and the general public to help first and foremost in early diagnoses and early referral.

We hope by inviting the general public, primary and secondary health care personnel, officials from the department of Education, social services, allied health sciences, generalists, physicians and medical students that awareness will have a ripple effect on all levels of practitioners who come in contact with these children at home, school, at primary, secondary and tertiary level hospitals improving the level of treatment they receive and their prognosis.

The day will consist of diverse local events hosted, designed and implemented by our Paediatric OPD Staff. It is for the first time that patients and their families from Groote Schuur Hospital and Red Cross Hospital will be invited to join us in celebrating our awareness campaign and in so doing strengthening, nurturing and developing new support systems.

The activities hosted at Tygerberg Hospital will include face painting sessions, 30 min yoga sessions with Emilie the Yogi to show the benefits of yoga in patients with rheumatic conditions. Display tables, merchandise and educational pamphlets from AFSA and AKSA will be available to everyone. Posters by patients and medical students will be showcased to promote education to families and the general public. The latest on Lupus and lupus research will be shared by Dr Kate Webb from the University Of Cape town. Mrs Una Van Rhyn, CEO of Andreas gift lupus foundation, a multi- functional NPO will speak about the emotional support offered to our paediatric Lupus patients in the wards and communities. Miss Daniella Djan, a lupus warrior herself will introduce Khosi the soft toy Lupus warrior and talk about her new kiddies lupus story book. The Arthritis foundation will boast their Kids to kids Edutainment drama to entice the crowds. Children living with arthritis will share their life changing stories from the heart. Personal interactions with various support groups and distribution of Eucerin sponsored sunscreen gift tokens will remain treasured memories for everyone coming.

Events such as this are exemplary in identifying the benefits of engagement, collaboration and partnering between management and clinical teams, with other multi disciplinary medical specialties, with NGO’s, with primary and secondary health care sectors, with the dept. of education, with schools, with social services, with the general public, with other hospitals and with the private sector; reminding us yet again that it takes a whole village to nurture the holistic health of our children, the future of this country.

Thank you.
Dr Deepthi (Dee) Abraham
Paediatric Rheumatologist