Butterfly Palliative Home is a children’s hospice providing holistic palliative care to vulnerable children in South Africa.
Founded in rural KZN, we currently have two in-patient children’s hospices and home-based care teams.
31/01/2026
Keeping our little ones distracted from pain and comfortable during the days when they don’t feel so great is one of our main missions at Butterfly Home. It requires A LOT of compassion and patience. Here medical caregiver, Anele, lovingly rocks baby Hope to sleep knowing full well she won’t be able to put her down without the big scream.
We could not do this mammoth task of loving terminally ill children without our incredible and skilled team of carers. They see the good, the bad and the downright scary each day and still find joy and hope in every moment.
We salute you!🙌🏻🦋🦋🦋
30/01/2026
Dear friends, we're delighted to announce our nomination for the Best of Zululand Awards in the Best Charity/Non-profit category🎉.
By voting for us, you'll be contributing to a remarkable achievement that will raise our profile, increase awareness about the needs of children with terminal and life-limiting illnesses, and ultimately enable us to deliver more effective support to vulnerable children in Zululand and South Africa🦋🦋🦋.
Help us make a lasting impact by voting via the link below🙏🏻
HomeBEST OF ZULULAND 2025-2026 NOMINEES: LIVING IN ZULULAND BEST OF ZULULAND 2025-2026 NOMINEES: LIVING IN ZULULAND Best Agriculture Equipment AFGRI Equipment (Empangeni) Bell Equipment (Richards Bay) RB Building and Supplies (Richards Bay) Ritchie Farm Equipment (Empangeni) TWK Agri (Empangeni) Bes...
29/01/2026
Who is checking who? 🩺🤔
Daily vitals are a part of life here at our children's hospice, but Sister Marlene knows that medical checks do not have to be a slog, especially when you have a junior doctor like Ollie on the case! 👨🏽⚕️💊
After Sr Marlene checked his heart, Ollie decided it was only fair to return the favour. It is wonderful to see him making sure Sr Marlene is in tip-top shape. ❤️🥼
Ollie’s official medical advice for all his patients? More play and extra sweeties! Mmm, we might have to take that advice with a grain of salt... 🤣
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28/01/2026
Seven years of Yassie! 🥳🎂🍭🎈
Yesterday, we celebrated a very special birthday for a little girl who truly captivates the heart of everyone she meets. To witness another birthday with our girl is a gift we don't take for granted!
We love you more than words can say, Yassie! Happy 7th Birthday! 🎂🩷🥰
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26/01/2026
Friends, we need your help!
Our team is currently working with a baby boy in heart failure. He is very uncomfortable and also oxygen dependent. Keeping a child like this distracted from pain and discomfort can literally mean the difference between a good and a bad day.
We are looking at various sensory options, but would also like to bless the mom with a children’s tablet where she can download and play movies/videos for her baby when things feel really overwhelming.
Anyone willing to contribute towards this device can please deposit money into the account listed below under the reference “tablet”.
Together we can make sure that children with serious and life-limiting conditions receive the compassionate care they deserve🫶🏻🦋
26/01/2026
We have a new Quality Control Officer at The Thrift, and he’s taking his job very seriously! 📋👟
Joshua spent the morning testing out our latest arrivals. While these Truworths Man shoes are (slightly) too big for his feet, they officially passed the "Josh Test." He has deemed them acceptable for resale!
If you’re looking for a sharp, preloved pair of shoes with the ultimate seal of approval, come visit us at Butterfly Home.
📍 Find them at: The Thrift @ Butterfly Home, Empangeni
1 Eland Crescent
Nyala Park
Empangeni
3880
Contact Nr: +27 66 435 1302
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26/01/2026
We love supporting families through our home-based care programmes. This cute guy’s mommy is doing such a good job caring for him apart from the challenges of providing tracheostomy care in a deep rural, resource-limited community.
Our nursing sister and social worker visit families like his to provide support, education and specialised wellness checks.
23/01/2026
Watch out, world! Ollie’s officially licensed and roadworthy. 🏎️💨
Current top speed: 0.8 km/h. Fuel type: Flings & Oros.
If you see him coming, please yield... he hasn't quite mastered parallel parking yet.
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22/01/2026
Life at a children’s hospice is defined by profound contrasts. We witness miracles, like a child taking steps we were told they never would. Yet we also face the heartbreak of saying goodbye too soon.
At Butterfly Home, our mission is to embrace the most vulnerable children. We care for those who have been orphaned, abandoned, or whose families simply cannot access the specialized care they need.
We do more than provide medical support. We love them as our own family for every moment we are given. While the grief of losing them is the heavy price of that love, we view every life we touch as a privilege. We are deeply grateful to be part of their journey.
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21/01/2026
Ollie's toy sports car he got for Christmas has already clocked plenty of laps around the living room floor. I hope he remembers to have the oil, water, and tyre pressure checked. Being a racecar driver comes with a lot of responsibilities.
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20/01/2026
The big trampoline makes for an excellent "chill spot" here at our children's hospice in Empangeni. Carer Bright took advantage of the dappled sunlight for some outdoor time with the little ones today. Sometimes the best kind of therapy is just a bit of fresh air and a comfortable place to sit.
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Nestled on top of the picturesque mountain community of Ingwavuma, South Africa, is a very special place called Butterfly Palliative Home. Here we care for orphaned and abandoned babies from all over South Africa who need a family and special medical care due to life-limiting conditions. All of these little ones have a story to share. Their stories are mostly heartbreaking, filled with sad memories and many visits to the hospital. But they all have one thing in common: they are survivors - they are little warriors - and they now call BPH their home...
It all started in January 2018 when our founders, Christoff and Tarryn Bell, received a phone call about an abandoned baby boy from Soweto who needed a home. This tiny person happened to be discovered by a jogger out on his morning run who heard a noise and found a tiny baby discarded in the bushes. At the time baby Si was thought to have Down Syndrome and was estimated to be about six months old. Cold, dehydrated and emaciated, little Si was rushed to a nearby hospital to receive emergency medical treatment.
The Bells adopted their son Joshua, who has Down Syndrome, in 2015 and the hope was that they might be interested in adopting another little guy with the same diagnosis. Christoff Bell, a medical doctor at Mosvold Hospital, and his wife Tarryn, a social worker, were running a Christian non-profit called Izandla ZeAfrika at the time. It soon came to light that baby Si’s condition was much more serious than anticipated and he was diagnosed with Trisomy 18 or “Edwards Syndrome”, a condition which is widely regarded as not being compatible with life. Baby Si was in bad shape and not given long to live.
The Bells could not shake the feeling that they were called to help this little one as well as others like him. After much deliberation and prayer they decided to take Si into Foster Care and opened Butterfly Home for babies with palliative needs. The little home was started as a project under Izandla ZeAfrika and started with four home-based caregivers who were trained to look after children with special needs. A week after Si arrived at Butterfly home the next butterfly was placed, and soon after that another one. The little ones kept coming and the home grew and grew. Si began to flourish and was quickly surrounded by five brothers and sisters.
Today Butterfly Palliative Home is a registered Non-Profit Company and in the process obtaining full Hospice status. We are growing from strength to strength, with the help of amazing sponsors and volunteers and a team of twelve staff members ensure that our children receive only the best care.
