Footprints 4 Sam Trust
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Mission Statement
To leave footprints of change in neonatal and pediatric wards countrywide, through the cultivation of a healthcare culture of swift and broad-based intervention, early diagnosis and real and achievable family centered solutions, which promote excellence of life for both child and family.
About This Cause
Following our son's death, we as parents wanted Sam's healthcare journey, which was far from perfect to offer change, hope, dignity and mutual respect and connectedness to other children and families in similar situations. During Sam's lifetime (15.5 months) we saw how much need there was for supporting chronically ill children and their families, especially those that are underprivileged in South Africa. The Trust was formed in Sam's name to fulfil our dream of making a difference and to build a legacy in memory of our precious son. The Footprints 4 Sam Trust fulfils this dream through our 6 key initiatives aimed at serving underprivileged children and their families, as well as the health professionals that treat them, as each day they all face the difficult journey of living with or treating a life limiting condition. These complex conditions are often burdensome to the family and often soul destroying for the health professionals and the Trust's 6 key initiatives offer tangible hope in the midst of much pain and suffering (See: www.footprints4sam.org). Through these initiatives our aim is to change lives one footprint at a time. Our 6 key pillar initiatives are as follows: 1) The Super Sam Hero Vehicles (Two Mini Busses in Cape Town): Chronically ill and underprivileged children and their families are chauffeured to the hospital and their clinic appointments in Cape Town. Since the projects inception in 2018 to date (March 2025) - we have transported over 6900 children and over 13 600 passengers including caregivers. The two Super Sam Hero mini busses are not taxis nor ambulances, but they enable medically stable children to continue with much needed follow up care - such as attending rehabilitation, follow up treatments, counselling, therapy and other supportive care programmes. The purpose of the vehicles are also to ensure that no child should ever be ill alone or worse die alone and that if a child passes away that families can be transported home with dignity instead of having to find their way home in a crammed public taxi. 2) Our second initiative - The Super Sam Hero Bucket initiative: This initiative aims to help families who are very poor and have nothing while still trying to support their child who has a life limiting or life threatening illness. The buckets consist of a food bucket, a care bucket and a love bucket. The food bucket consists of non perishable food items. The love bucket consists of a Sam bracelet, knitted blanket, soft toy, a jersey or item of clothing and other donated items that make the child and family feel loved, cared for and mostly supported and not alone on this painful road. The care bucket consists of toiletry items for mum and child. The buckets are there to provide a bridge to these families as they apply for social grants and to support them in their moments of need. Footprints 4 Sam has fed thousands of beneficiaries since the inception of this key initiative. 3) Our third key initiative is our Beautiful Memories Initiative - This initiative aims to make beautiful memories for families at the hardest time in their lives, as well as create beautiful wards and spaces within low resourced settings such as our State Paediatric Hospitals. We do this through events and projects such as petting zoos for children at hospitals; supporting events around special occasions such as Christmas parties etc; renovating counselling rooms, bereavement rooms, and paediatric wards, whilst also attending to the simpler and very meaningful moments of making hand and foot moulds, so that parents have something to cherish forever. Footprints 4 Sam is proud to have renovated multiple key rooms and wards at the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital and we are currently fundraising to renovate their entire neonatal icu - The hospital is now over 80 years old and "she" is the only mother and child hospital in South Africa - Our fundraising goal is R80 million for phase one of this key legacy project. 4) Our fourth initiative - The Super Sam Wi-Fi Initiative - Here we promote connectedness between families when children and mothers are stuck in hospital and unable to see or speak to their families regularly or communicate without using expensive data. 5) Fifthly - Our Sam Support & Training - offering wellness support for families and healthcare workers who often forget about their own self care, as well as offering key scholarships and learning. 6) Our sixth initiative - namely advocacy is all about building the Samuel Generation of Healthcare - This initiative involves talking and presenting to healthcare professionals, students and healthcare groups and companies to open their eyes and to change their behaviour and policies to be more child, family, human and heart centred. We talk to healthcare groups about Sam, about the lessons learnt through our journey and we offer key learnings - Sam's lessons to change lives for the better. All of our initiatives since the official inception of the Footprints 4 Sam Trust in October 2017 have made a substantial difference in many families lives and through our interventions many lives have been saved. It all comes down to bringing humanity back into healthcare and hope and dignity for all. Another shout out! - We also have a team of sport enthusiasts who "sweat" 4 Sam. Here each group can run their own campaign to raise funds and we have individuals running, cycling, walking etc to change lives in their beautiful "breath is life", Footprints 4 Sam shirts. (A great way for companies to connect, compete both internally and with their own clients and suppliers while exercising with purpose and meaning!). Please reach out if you are interested in launching a special event! We would love to co-create this with you! Finally, governance is a key cornerstone of our Trust in order to ensure that our initiatives are reported and tracked for the benefit of our beneficiaries and our donors. For more detail and information on our Trustees and our Trust's story, as well as to see a gallery of pictures or to buy your Sam shirt or bracelet please visit our website: www.footprints4sam.org. - Our latest Annual Reports are also available for your perusal. Your help in supporting and growing our initiatives will continue to change lives one footprint at a time. Thank you for helping us to change lives for the better and to offer hope, dignity and kindness to children and families in South Africa who are desperately vulnerable not just because of their poverty but because of their chronic illness and life limiting conditions. Thank you just never feels like it is enough!