Butterfly Palliative Home is a childrenโs hospice providing holistic palliative care to vulnerable children in South Africa.
Founded in rural KZN, we currently have two in-patient childrenโs hospices and home-based care teams.
17/04/2026
The heart of our journey ๐ฆ
"On this (palliative care) journey, you need to allow your heart to shatter over and over and over again. There is so much love on this journey, and so much hurt, all wrapped up in this beautiful tapestry called life." โ Tarryn Bell, co-founder & Butterfly Mama.
Tarrynโs words beautifully capture the deep love and vulnerability that fills our children's hospice every day. It is an honour to walk this path, holding space for both the joy and the heartbreak, and finding the beauty of life in every single thread of the tapestry.
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17/04/2026
The crazy sale is on! Pop into The Thrift at Butterfly Home Empangeni tomorrow for 50% discount on all times (excluding Cultivate Coffee Co.).
We have a stunning array of books, plants, clothes, shoes, jewellery, homeware and stylish dรฉcor items๐
ALL proceeds go towards caring for our Butterfly children๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ
16/04/2026
We would like to introduce everyone to our newest Butterfly who flew all the way from Johannesburg - baby B๐ฆ
You are welcome, safe and we promise to love you always๐ฅฐ
16/04/2026
A huge thank you to Medi Park Pharmacy! ๐ฉบ๐๐ฉน
We want to send a massive thank you to the team from Medi Park Pharmacy (part of the Umhlatuze Pharmacy Group) for visiting us recently.
They spent the morning testing our Empangeni children hospice carers and staff, checking blood pressure and sugar levels to make sure our team is staying healthy for the little ones they care for!
To top it all off, everyone received some lovely goodies at the end, which was such a special treat.Thank you for looking after the hearts and hands that care for our Butterflies, we truly appreciate your support.
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15/04/2026
Our two Butterfly Homes are currently in need of the following items if anyone is able to help. The little patientsโ comfort and care is our main priority and every item or monetary donation goes directly towards patient care๐๐ผ
Deliveries and drop-offs can be done at 1 Eland Crescent, Nyala Park, Empangeni.
Thank you to our faithful virtual community for always helping us provide the best possible care to medically fragile children ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ
15/04/2026
Our big boy is 10! ๐๐
Can you believe our Ollie turned 10 on Monday?! ๐ฅณ๐
Of course, we celebrated Butterfly style with a gorgeous cake, delish party snacks, and general merriment while our guest of honour smiled from ear to ear! ๐
We love you tons and tons and tons, Ollie! You bring so much joy and light! ๐๐๐ฅฐ
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15/04/2026
We are very excited to share that our co-founder, Tarryn Bellโs podcast interview has been included in this new book by journalist and podcaster, Daniรซlla van Heerden.
This will make the perfect Motherโs Day gift! Order yours today!๐ช๐ป
Die dag wanneer jy โn ma word, verander jou lewe ingrypend โฆ en vir ewig.
Gebaseer op die joernalis Daniรซlla Van Heerden se gewilde podsending โn Ma & โn Mikrofoon (met meer as 100 episodes as inspirasie) is โn keur van diรฉ gesprekke nou verwerk in geskrewe vorm: eerlik, inspirerend en eg Suid-Afrikaans.
In diรฉ bundel word ouerskap en al die verskillende fases daarvan gevier en bespreek: die onsekerheid van โn eerste swangerskap tot die opwinding en chaos van โn pienkvoet in die huis. Die uitdagings van die tienerjare tot die heimwee van โn leรซ nes.
Jy gaan die ouerskapstories hoor van uiteenlopende bekende maโs (soos die aktrises Simonรฉ Pretorius en Lindie Strydom en politikus Helen Zille) maar ook leer by minder bekende, maar ewe merkwaardige vroue.
Hulle sluit in Tina van Deventer (โn ma van twaalf kinders!), Tarryn Bell (wat sterwende kinders versorg) en Shani Little (โn ma wat geweier het dat blindheid of borskanker haar stuit.)
Diรฉ bundel is die ideale geskenk vir Moedersdag, โn ooievaarstee of vir enige vriendin en ma wat soms net moet onthou: Jy is nie alleen nie.
13/04/2026
Pizza party time! ๐๐๐ผ
One of the very best things about when Mama Tarryn visits Ingwavuma has to be the pizza parties! ๐
There is nothing quite like hot pizza to bring out the biggest smiles from our Butterflies. Can you see the sheer excitement and enjoyment in every single slice? ๐คช๐คฉ
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12/04/2026
Yes!
These are organisations that provide safe places where parents can leave their babies without being asked any questions.
11/04/2026
ADVERTISEMENT: Butterfly Palliative Home has been voted Zululandโs Best Charity / Non-Profit. KZNโs only registered childrenโs hospice providing special care to children with palliative needs, Butterfly Palliative Home gives selflessly to some of those most vulnerable. For more information on the work they do, or to donate to their cause, contact them on 066 4351302 or via email at info@butterflyhome.org.za.
10/04/2026
Have you popped into The Thrift lately? ๐๐๐
Empangeni friends, our lovely charity shop has been a bit quiet recently, and we would love to see some friendly faces popping in to browse!
If you are looking for a hidden gem, The Thrift is the perfect place to find some beautiful preloved bargains. Whether you are hunting for a new outfit or something unique for your home, every single purchase goes directly towards supporting the children at our hospice.
It is the best kind of shopping, as you get to take home a treat while knowing you are making a real difference to our Butterflies. Come and say hello, have a coffee and a browse, and help us keep our hands and hearts strong!
๐ Find us at:
1 Eland Crescent
Nyala Park
Empangeni
๐ Our hours:
Monday to Friday: 7am to 5pm
Saturday: 8am to 1pm
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09/04/2026
A big thank you to DICE and Ackermans! ๐๏ธ๐ฆ
We want to say a huge thank you to DICE and Ackermans for their wonderful donation to our children's hospice. ๐ซถ๐ฝ
It is through the kindness and support of partners like these that we are able to keep providing the best care and comfort for our Butterflies. We are so grateful to have you as part of our village! ๐๐
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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 Siโs condition was much more serious than anticipated and he was diagnosed with Trisomy 18 or โEdwards Syndromeโ, 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.
