Butterfly Palliative Home

Butterfly Palliative Home Butterfly Palliative Home is a hospice providing end-of-life care to orphaned & abandoned children.

02/10/2025

Every morning at our children’s hospice starts with a little worship, and it’s the sweetest way to begin the day. As you can see, our kiddos absolutely love it, singing their little hearts out and praising the Lord with so much joy! 😍🎤🪇🎵

🦋🦋🦋

Extra Chromosome= Endless Possibilities! 💛💙October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, and instead of only talking about a...
01/10/2025

Extra Chromosome= Endless Possibilities! 💛💙

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, and instead of only talking about awareness, we want to celebrate and recognise the incredible value of every person with Down Syndrome.

For so long, the story of Down Syndrome was told in terms of deficits. At Butterfly Home, we have seen the opposite. That extra chromosome brings EXTRA love, EXTRA joy, and EXTRA resilience.

Our kids with T21, like our son Joshie and our Butterflies Sunny and Amy, are not defined by their diagnosis. They are part of our family, bringing laughter, joy, and wonder into every day. Yes, some T21 kids, like Sunny, live with complex medical needs, but we always see the whole person first. They are goofballs, artists, snugglers, and the fiercest little fighters we know.

This month, let’s honour their worth and celebrate their stories. Do you know an amazing T21 individual? Tell us about them in the comments so we can celebrate together!

🌼 DID YOU KNOW: 🌼

In South Africa 1 in 500 babies are born with Down Syndrome.

About 50% of children with Down Syndrome also have congenital heart disease which may lead to the need for palliative care.

🦋🦋🦋

This little smiley princess Molly is loving her cosy snuggle couch time! 💕And honestly, between her, Rosie, and Hope, it...
30/09/2025

This little smiley princess Molly is loving her cosy snuggle couch time! 💕

And honestly, between her, Rosie, and Hope, it seems like sticking your tongue out between two tiny pearly teeth is the must-have look of the season! Anyone else’s kids go through this phase too? So adorable. Total dopamine rush right there! ✨😍

🦋🦋🦋

Thank goodness for HOPE!!"Where there's hope, there's life." A powerful reminder from Anne Frank. We know that our hope ...
29/09/2025

Thank goodness for HOPE!!

"Where there's hope, there's life." A powerful reminder from Anne Frank. We know that our hope is rooted in the Lord, and it's His grace that "fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again." Keep your eyes fixed on Him today.

Have a blessed week friends!

🦋🦋🦋

It’s a beautifully sunny day after the rain. Why not pop in for a delicious Cultivate Coffee Co. coffee at The Thrift sh...
26/09/2025

It’s a beautifully sunny day after the rain. Why not pop in for a delicious Cultivate Coffee Co. coffee at The Thrift shop in support of our butterflies🦋☕️🦋☕️🦋

Address: 1 Eland Crescent, Nyala Park, Empangeni💪🏻💪🏽💪🏿

26/09/2025

We love seeing our home-based care patients thrive!

Little “Nathi” was born with a rare and complex condition affecting his heart, brain and gut. His mom has received extensive counselling about her child’s condition and the true meaning of palliative care - living each day to the fullest!

Little “Nathi” is thriving at home with the support from our team and his wonderful community and is learning to walk.

This right here is children’s palliative care in action🫶🏾

Look who’s been cooking up a storm with Mam Tarryn! Today’s menu: mac & cheese with viennas. 🍝Yassie, Ollie, and Sunny h...
26/09/2025

Look who’s been cooking up a storm with Mam Tarryn! Today’s menu: mac & cheese with viennas. 🍝

Yassie, Ollie, and Sunny had the best time whipping it up (and an even better time eating it). We’re so proud of our little chefs! 🧑‍🍳😍

P.S. Can we talk about Sunny’s dress? Pretty sure it might be on backwards… what do you think? Let us know in the comments! 😂👗

🦋🦋🦋

At Butterfly Home, we see every day how friendships change lives. Our children may have tiny hearts, but the love they s...
25/09/2025

At Butterfly Home, we see every day how friendships change lives. Our children may have tiny hearts, but the love they share is enormous. It can be pure magic! Now we’re inviting you to be part of that magical story through our campaign. 🦋

Our non-profit children’s hospice in Ingwavuma is on a mission to gather 500 amazing friends who are willing to step up and make a difference in the lives of orphaned, abandoned, and neglected children facing life-limiting illnesses.

If 500 friends out of our nearly 5000 virtual friends give R500 each month, our salaries and overheads will be fully funded! That means we can focus on what matters most, caring for the most vulnerable little ones in South Africa. 🙌🏻

We still have a loooooong way to go, but with your help, we can get there. Please spread the word, tag your friends, and rally with us to reach our goal of .

A massive thank you to all the incredible friends who have already signed up. Your kindness and generosity mean the world to us! 🥰💖

If you feel called to help, DM us your name and pledge or reach out to Tarryn at tarryn@butterflyhome.org.za. We can’t wait to welcome you to the Butterfly Home family! 🏡❤️

🦋🦋🦋

🎉🎂 Happy 7th birthday to our little firecracker, Sadia! Another year older, brighter, and sassier than ever! We love you...
22/09/2025

🎉🎂 Happy 7th birthday to our little firecracker, Sadia!

Another year older, brighter, and sassier than ever! We love you to the moon and back, big girl!! 🥰

🦋🦋🦋

Today is Monday Mug Madness at our Thrift & Coffee shop in Empangeni.Look at these brand new Carrol Boyes mugs usually r...
22/09/2025

Today is Monday Mug Madness at our Thrift & Coffee shop in Empangeni.

Look at these brand new Carrol Boyes mugs usually retailing at R250 each, on sale for R100 each🎉

These are the perfect gift for a friend or teacher☕️☕️☕️

Pop in at 1 Eland Crescent, Empangeni for unbeatable prices. All proceeds go towards our two Children’s hospices🦋🦋🦋

🦋 Butterfly fit check:Hope is rocking a teddy bear matching set (ears included) paired with pastel-neon, cherry stripey ...
19/09/2025

🦋 Butterfly fit check:

Hope is rocking a teddy bear matching set (ears included) paired with pastel-neon, cherry stripey socks. The verdict? 100% adorable! 🍒🐻🧦

🦋🦋🦋

Our boy Josh-Josh has caught the Spring-time giggles! He’s basically sunshine in human form. ☀️🤣🌈🪇Honestly, we should st...
18/09/2025

Our boy Josh-Josh has caught the Spring-time giggles! He’s basically sunshine in human form. ☀️🤣🌈🪇

Honestly, we should start bottling those giggles and selling them in our charity shop... it would be the best mood booster ever! 😄🤩🍭🌼

🦋🦋🦋

Address

1 Eland Crescent
Ingwavuma
3880

Opening Hours

Monday 08:00 - 00:00
Tuesday 08:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 08:00 - 17:00
Thursday 08:00 - 17:00
Friday 08:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+27712773861

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Butterfly Palliative Home posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Butterfly Palliative Home:

Shortcuts

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Our Story

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.