Tutus salute children’s hospital staff

Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his wife, Leah, celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary on Monday by honouring the staff responsible for running the Tygerberg Children’s Hospital in Cape Town.

The Tutus have been active patrons of the hospital for the past 18 years.

Apart from being regular visitors to the wards‚ their fundraising efforts have contributed to the hospital being able to acquire equipment to screen high-risk infants’ eyes to prevent blindness‚ and equipment for the paediatric intensive care unit, for which there was no public funding.

The teaching hospital of Stellenbosch University‚ Tygerberg is responsible for providing tertiary medical care to about half of the Western Cape’s children in need‚ as well as some from further afield.

A spokesperson for the Tutus said the couple had a special relationship with the medical profession‚ in general‚ and the Tygerberg Children’s Hospital, in particular.

Tutu nearly succumbed to tuberculosis as a youth‚ after overcoming polio in infancy.

His intention to study medicine was thwarted by a lack of funds. A few years ago‚ Tutu partially fulfilled this childhood dream by joining a class of senior medical students at the Tygerberg Children’s Hospital for some practical training.

His wife studied nursing‚ after completing a teaching qualification.

Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation programmes director Razaan Bailey said the couple had regularly told foundation staff over the years that they found the commitment and compassion of the people at the Tygerberg Children’s Hospital extraordinary and exhilarating.