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AS International Nurses’ Day is celebrated today, two nurses from Netcare St Anne’s Hospital were recently acknowledged for their caring natures.
Morag van Deventer, a trauma sister in the emergency department, and Louise Nanni, a cardiac scrub sister in the theatre department, were among the staff members nominated for Netcare Coastal region’s Carer of the Year Award. This was for making a meaningful impact on people’s lives both within and outside of their hospitals.
Van Deventer is very involved in the Pietermaritzburg community. One of the charity projects that she started is the Kuvela Othandweni initiative, which means “from the heart”, and is supported by a group of women who knit clothing for premature and newborn babies at Edendale Hospital. This helps mothers who are unable to afford clothing for their new babies.
“It is so special to meet these mothers and to see their eyes light up when they receive the clothing,” said Van Deventer.
“It eases some of their worries and is a promising beginning for their little ones.
“I love to see the mothers’ pride when they leave hospital with their babies warmly dressed.”
In another instance Van Deventer also jumped right in to try help others.
What started out as getting some friends to donate wool and their time to knitting beanies and blankets, evolved to her collecting over 100 boxes of knitted clothing and blankets, shoes and sports kits and distributing them to over 14 crèches, three hospitals, and many special-needs schools.
Hundreds of children of all ages have benefited from this.
Van Deventer’s colleague, Nanni, was also acknowledged for her compassion beyond her job responsibilities.
Last year a fellow staff member in Nanni’s department died just days after giving birth to a baby girl.
The team she worked with were heartbroken.
Recognising their grief, Nanni set about bringing her colleagues together to see what they could do for their colleague’s husband and baby.
They filled one box with necessities for the baby, and then filled a second box with gifts that they presented to the husband to show their support, not only making a difference in the lives of the father and baby but also helping the theatre team come to terms with their colleague’s death.
— Supplied.
International Nurses’ Day is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth
