Every 3 Minutes
A Child Dies
From Cancer

Only 5% of these children receive care from a hospice

The crisis

In 2017 it was estimated that 21 million children worldwide required palliative care. 98% of these children live in low middle income countries and 50% of them are in Africa.

21 million children

n 2013 it was estimated that there were 801 155 children in South Africa
who needed palliative care with 304 441 needing specialist palliative care.
At the time of this study it was estimated that only 14 501 (5%) of these
children receive care from hospices

50% are in Africa

Vision and Mission

As a Public Benefit Organisation, the Rohan Bloom Foundation is committed to building the first Specialised Paediatric Palliative Care In-Patient Hospice in Cape Town, Rohan House, offering the necessary palliative care as well as restoring dignity to the patient, whilst ensuring emotional and psychological support for the family. The Foundation aims to bring together the skills, resources and inspiration to create a blueprint for similar facilities across South Africa for terminally ill children and their families.

A bigger vision for Africa

However, Rohan House forms part of a broader vision.
The Foundation, in collaboration with Paedspal, is aiming to build a Paediatric Palliative Care Research and Training Centre of Excellence, which will service the whole of Africa, of which Rohan House will form the Palliative Care In-Patient Unit.

Rohan's Story

“Today, his fight lives on in the Rohan Bloom Foundation, so that no child and no family, should ever have to endure the horrors of the disease that took our champion.”

Rohan Bloom was a champion. From the day he could walk he faced life’s challenges head-on, always wanting to be the best at everything he did. An avid sportsman, Rohan excelled with bat and ball, winning accolades for soccer, rugby and – most importantly to him – cricket. He was a loving son to his parents Rod and Kim, a caring brother to his siblings Kiran and Carys and a diligent student and loyal friend at Cape Town’s Herzlia and Bishops schools.

No matter how big the task, or how lost the cause, Rohan refused to believe he was beaten. Which is why when he first felt a sharp pain in his rib after a bruising cricket game in July 2014, he dismissed it with his usual swagger. Six months later, when the pain was still there, Rohan and his family accepted that something more had to be done.

Rohan House

Dad meets Doctor

During the last months of his life, Rohan and his family endured the full horror of his disease: extreme pain, indignity, fear and desperation. So much of this could have been eased or avoided with the right facilities, resources and information. They were shocked to find out that there was no children’s hospice that could offer Rohan and the family the dignity and support they so desperately needed.

It was during this time that Rod Bloom , Rohan’s dad, met the Founding Member and CEO of Paedspal, Dr Michelle Meiring, who is considered the leading expert in Palliative Care in South Africa. She is respected worldwide for her immense knowledge and expertise in this field. Michelle offered and administered the necessary and much needed palliative care to Rohan in his final weeks, and through his end-of-life journey.

Rod and Michelle formed a close and meaningful friendship with a shared vision of opening a children’s hospice, which was borne from the determination that no child and family should ever have to suffer the way Rohan and his family had suffered.

“Children die, usually without any form of palliative support, and suffer unnecessary pain and discomfort. Parents are left to grieve and get on with their lives, also unsupported. Nobody really complains.”

Dr Michelle Meiring
CEO and Founder of
Paedspal

The First Specialized Paediatric Palliative
Care In-Patient Hospice

The hospice aims to offer expert symptom management, respite care as well as terminal care whilst upholding the holistic principles of palliative care. The palliative care environment considers the child’s body, mind and spirit and provides opportunities for play, human touch and family interaction.

The overall design of the hospice should be conducive to a feeling of peace and tranquility:

To create a centre where doctors and nurses from throughout Africa can come to train in palliative medicine and patient management.
To provide a comprehensive specialist multi disciplinary hospice and palliative care in-patient unit which will enable children with life limiting conditions to live as well as possible for as long as possible