Paedspal
What does your company do?
Paedspal is a Cape Town-based non-profit that provides palliative care for children with life-limiting or life-threatening illnesses. Led by Dr Michelle Meiring, our team of doctors, nurses, counsellors, and therapists walks alongside families navigating the unimaginable, offering relief from pain, emotional support, and dignity at every stage. We support children both in the hospital and in our outpatient clinic, helping them live as fully as possible while ensuring their families receive the necessary support. Beyond direct care, we also train healthcare workers, advocate for policy change, and build awareness around the critical need for paediatric palliative care in South Africa.
What is your biggest success?
I believe my greatest and most impactful achievement has been in palliative care policy-making. This work is crucial for transitioning palliative care from being primarily provided by NGOs to becoming an integral part of Universal Health Care, accessible to all.
In 2016, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi appointed me as the paediatrician on a National Policy-Making Committee for Palliative Care in South Africa. The policy was approved in record time in April 2017. Unfortunately, implementation has been slow due to funding constraints, but we are not giving up.
Since then, I've been involved in policy development at both provincial and local levels, notably helping to develop the first palliative care policy for a South African hospital (Red Cross Children's Hospital). Another significant first has been establishing a Diploma in Paediatric Palliative Care at the University of Cape Town and contributing to the recognition of this field as a specialty.
What has been your biggest hurdle?
My biggest hurdle was losing my 10-year-old national organisation, The Bigshoes Foundation, in 2012. I started this organisation in Johannesburg and successfully set up branches in Durban and Cape Town. Bigshoes provided HIV-focused child healthcare interventions and paediatric palliative care nationwide.
Sadly, a newly appointed CEO in Johannesburg defrauded the NGO, forcing us to close – tragically, this happened just as we were about to be nominated for a Global Award for our work, an award that would have taken us to the next level.
However, a true testament to sustainability was the continuation of our work in all three provinces by our passionate staff. They either established new organisations or joined forces with existing ones. For instance, Paedspal is the continuation of the Cape Town Bigshoes branch, Umduduzi continues the Durban branch's work, and the Johannesburg efforts were carried on by Thusanani and Wits Palliative Care. We also formed a national network, PatchSA, in the aftermath of this tragedy.
