City of Cape Town employees who are usually at the frontlines keeping the public safe recently united in a different kind of mission: supporting the young patients and dedicated staff at St Joseph’s Intermediate Paediatric Care.
Regan Bagley and Jermaine Carelse, who have a background in law enforcement and firefighting respectively, completed the three-day mountain biking race Wines2Whales in early November to raise funds for St Joseph’s. And in late October, the City’s Safety and Security Directorate participated in a 5km fun run, with St Joseph’s as the beneficiary of proceeds raised.
St Joseph’s is a 175-bed facility that provides free, transitional care to children from vulnerable communities across the Western Cape. Referred by hospitals and healthcare providers throughout the Cape Metropole, these young patients face chronic conditions such as cerebral palsy, infectious diseases, brain injuries, neurological disorders, and cancer. At St Joseph’s, they receive expert multidisciplinary, rehabilitative, and restorative care—bridging the critical gap between hospital and home.
Bagley and Carelse went through numerous setbacks throughout the prestigious Wines2Whales event, particularly on the final day when Carelse had two accidents. But Carelse said the challenges experienced during the race did not compare to the sacrifices made by the patients at St Joseph’s. “I injured my elbow, hip, knee and knocked my head against a tree which broke my glasses in half, but I wouldn’t trade those moments for anything. The hills, the climbs, the struggles, the pain. Every day, the children of St Joseph’s were the heroes we looked up to. They remain the heroes and their struggle continues. That can never be forgotten.”
Bagley says he and Carelse were driven to take on the challenge of Wines2Whales by the commitment of the St Joseph’s staff, whom they describe as “The Avengers”.
Bagley says, “I’ve been all over South Africa doing safety and security, putting my life at risk. But when you look at the individuals that take care of these young patients and have to wipe off tears and motivate and create an atmosphere of positivity and healing every day – they are the real heroes and that inspires me.”
The 5km Fun Run, held around the Rondebosch Common on 23 October, brought together more than 500 participants from the City’s Safety and Security Directorate, which includes Fire & Rescue, Metro Police, Traffic Services, and Law Enforcement. Learners from the Public Safety Training College and The Fire and Rescue Training Academy also took part. Staff could either take part or sponsor a colleague, with all proceeds going directly to St Joseph’s Intermediate Paediatric Care.
“Everyone had a fantastic time on the track, but what really resonated was seeing the children they were raising funds for join in the festivities and getting to interact with them,” says Tenille Emandien, Head of Physical Fitness at the City of Cape Town’s Public Safety Training College. “The carers at the facility are doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, teachers, and occupational therapists, but they also take on the roles of parents and family. It takes remarkable people to do this work with such love and devotion, and I feel so fortunate to have been able to play a part in raising money for an institution like St Joseph’s.”
For more information on the work done at St Joseph’s Intermediate Paediatric Care, visit.
The post City heroes run & ride for the young patients at St Joseph’s appeared first on The Home Of Great South African News.
City of Cape Town employees who are usually at the frontlines keeping the public safe recently united in a different kind of mission
The post City heroes run & ride for the young patients at St Joseph’s appeared first on The Home Of Great South African News. Read More
