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Scenes of an emotional reunion played out at the Stepping Stone Hospice In-Patient Unit in New Market Park on Tuesday 25 February 2020 when hospice patient, Irineia Perreira popped in to greet the staff and CEO, Tersia Burger.

Anatomic Sportswear on Friday handed over a personalised cycling kit valued at R4000 to Stepping Stone Hospice cyclist, Nick Erasmus, who as an individual, raised the most funds for the hospice’s charity cycling team in the 2019 Discovery 947 Ride Joburg.

No better way to celebrate not only Valentine’s Day, but also your birthday, with those you love and treasure the most. Stepping Stone Hospice patient, Louise McIntyre, celebrated her 75th birthday on Friday in the hospice’s garden with her sister, her twin sons and a granddaughter “and the hospice staff of course, who I believe are all angels and hand-picked by God Himself.”

Time to dust off the golf clubs, polish the shoes and get ready to team up with your mate in the Stepping Stone Hospice Annual “Tee for Two” Golf Day, to be held on Thursday April 16, 2020 at Reading Country Club!

Stepping Stone Hospice’s Centre of Palliative Learning has reached a historical milestone in January 2020 when their first group of 30 Home Based Care Assistant students were successfully placed in the workplace to complete their six-month practical experience.

In many ways 2019 was a good year, a year where we managed to raise above the many challenges Non-Profit Organizations are faced with, a year where once again, our beautiful community rallied behind us and got us through some very difficult times.

One or two (or maybe more) phone calls, and it was decided…. Pietie is to visit his friend in the In-Patient Unit at Stepping Stone Hospice in New Market Park. After all, they have been together since 2015, never a day apart, they are each other companions and they have a lot to catch up on.

After weeks of careful planning and construction, the key to a beautiful new nurse’s tea room has officially been handed over to Stepping Stone Hospice CEO, Tersia Burger, on Friday November 1, 2019, by Pastor Alan Sutton on behalf of the Doxa Deo church in Meyersdal.

For many of us the approaching year-end festivities and Christmas celebrations brings with it moments of sadness as we remember those who are no longer with us. At Stepping Stone Hospice we understand this possibly better than most and have therefore decided to host a tree-lighting ceremony on Saturday November 30, 2019, a ceremony that can be seen as a beacon of hope, strength and a celebration of life.

As part of the annual 10-day Cancervive Ride, the HOMEMAKERS Care team joined the Cancervive riders, survivors and supporters on their journey at their awareness show at Reef Tankers, Germiston on Wednesday, October 9, 2019.

The Grade 3 learners at Glenanda Primary last week donated R30 400 to Stepping Stone Hospice & Care Services, funds raised in memory of one of their Grade 3 teachers who passed away at the Stepping Stone Hospice’s In-patient Unit in January this year. The funds were generated through a Cake & Candy Sale held earlier this year.

CEO of Hospice, Tersia Burger, attended the schools assembly on Thursday the 10th of October, and in accepting the cheque, thanked the learners and the staff of the school for their kindness, assuring them that the funds will be used to “continue the care provided to those facing the effects of a life-limiting illness.”

Diesel Bro's, a diesel wholesale company situated in Aspen Hills, recently paid Stepping Stone Hospice & Care Services a visit, delivering a bakkie-load of items from the hospice’s Wish List. “Thank you to Joe Dias and the rest of his amazing team for this wonderful donation!

The Shuffling Walking Team donated a whopping R140 000 to Stepping Stone Hospice & Care Services on Monday October 7, 2019, funds raised at their 8th Annual Family Fun Walk that took place on Sunday 28 July 2019 in Bedfordview.

Great excitement prevailed on the Stepping Stone Hospice premises on Thursday October 10 when the first draw (September draw) of their Club 2000 took place under the watchful eyes of auditor, Andre van Zyl and two representatives from the National Lotteries Commission.

Stepping Stone Hospice is extremely proud to be able to bring you our first ever fundraising golf day at the beautiful Eye of Africa Golf Estate in Eikenhof, home to an exclusively designed Greg Norman championship golf course.

Throughout her participation on The Voice SA, Touché Burger (19) blew South Africans away with her world-class vocals and natural and gripping performances. And now, for one night only, she will host her own show in Alberton in aid of Stepping Stone Hospice.

Tasché made history as the youngest, as well as first female winner of this prestigious competition. It is no surprise that international music giant, Universal Music, and premier local music agency, Valkie van Coke, signed her immediately.

For some the month of October is synonymous with beer fests, for us at hospice it is the month in which we celebrate World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, marked on the second Saturday of each October.

The aim and purpose of the day is three-fold:

• To share our vision to increase the availability of hospice and palliative care by creating opportunities to speak out about the issues.
• To raise awareness and understanding of the needs – medical, social, practical, spiritual – of people living with a life limiting illness and their families.
• To raise funds to support and develop hospice and palliative care services around the world.

Our CEO, Tersia Burger, has therefore decided to launch her annual CEO Tea in the month of October, thereby committing herself and Stepping Stone Hospice to the purpose of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day

If we can reach the 2000 tickets (lucky numbers) sold per month, we will be guaranteed of R100 000 per month income of which R25 000 will be allocated to prize money. This will leave us with a R75 000 profit. If we then break this down further –

We have 8 rooms in our In-Patient Unit– the basic costs of caring for a patient in a room per day is R1 155 – this excludes psycho-social care and medication. The profit of R75 000 from our Club 2000 programme will therefore cover the costs of caring for 2 patients in the unit per month. It may not sound like much, but it will be a huge relief and will help take the pressure off a very tight budget.

It won’t get her down – a diagnosis of an incurable cancer. She has her family, her friends, her two horses, a spot on a winning SA netball team, and she has a beautiful heart.

The 12-year old Danielle Theart, learner at Laerskool Randhart, last week donated R25 000 to Stepping Stone Hospice, funds raised for her by the school’s Supporters Club. During a heart-warming assembly at the school on Monday 19 August, three cheques, each worth R25 000, were handed over to three learners of this school who were diagnosed with various forms of cancer.

Stepping Stone Hospice’s Annual Memorial Day will take place on Sunday, 15 September, from 12 noon at the hospice’s In-Patient Unit in New Market Park. This annual event sees families and friends gather together to remember their loved ones and reconnect with the people who cared for them in their last days.

"This will be our sixth Memorial Day since opening our doors in 2013,” says Stepping Stone Hospice CEO, Tersia Burger. “To date, we have had over 1600 patients pass away under our care; people who we remember with love and fondness. On a personal level, I also honour the life of my daughter Vicky Bruce on this day. She was our very first patient, our very first death, and the reason that Stepping Stone Hospice exists at all."

Families and friends are encouraged to bring along a small photo, letter and/or token in memory of their loved one, to put inside a memory capsule that we will be placed in the hospice’s Garden of Remembrance on the day.

“’You are not alone’ has been our promise to the community from the very beginning, and that will never change,” says Tersia.