Butterfly Palliative Home

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

We are SO proud of longtime volunteer Chante Louw who finished her studies this week and is now officially Dr Chante Lou...
22/11/2025

We are SO proud of longtime volunteer Chante Louw who finished her studies this week and is now officially Dr Chante Louw!🎉

Thank you for always loving our butterflies and pouring your heart and soul into everything you do. You will be one amazing doctor🙌🏻

On Friday, our Co-founder, Tarryn, had the privilege of presenting at the KZN Department of Health Dietetics Symposium i...
22/11/2025

On Friday, our Co-founder, Tarryn, had the privilege of presenting at the KZN Department of Health Dietetics Symposium in Durban.

Withholding feeds at the end of a child’s life to allow natural dehydration and ketosis to benefit the child’s overall feeling of wellbeing can be a contentious topic due to widespread misconceptions.

The human body, designed to live, is also designed to pass away, and remarkable protective and comforting processes occur naturally if we allow death to progress.

Did you know that the human body can produce endogenous opioids during natural dehydration at end-of-life? Your body can create its own medicine to help alleviate pain and promote calmness and comfort! How incredible 🙌🏻

At Butterfly Home, we see every day how friendships change lives. Our children may have tiny hearts, but the love and jo...
20/11/2025

At Butterfly Home, we see every day how friendships change lives. Our children may have tiny hearts, but the love and joy they share is enormous. We’re inviting you to be part of this love and joy 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! 🏡❤️

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The sounds of pure joy! 🥹 Listen to Josh-josh enjoying a swing on our brand-new jungle gym / playground!This incredible ...
19/11/2025

The sounds of pure joy! 🥹 Listen to Josh-josh enjoying a swing on our brand-new jungle gym / playground!

This incredible gift was donated to our Empangeni children's hospice by our generous friends at Waymaker in Germany.

Excitement level = 💯 Thank you, Waymaker e.V.

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Our new therapy pup, Teddy, enjoyed a lovely wash & blow dry this morning before doing his rounds with the children. We ...
17/11/2025

Our new therapy pup, Teddy, enjoyed a lovely wash & blow dry this morning before doing his rounds with the children. We are amazed at how naturally it all comes to him. He was born to love children! There is such a peace and understanding that settles over him as our frail butterflies stroke him.

You are a very good pup, Teddy!

Welcome Teddy! 🦋🥳🐶Thank you to SPCA Empangeni for assisting ButterflyHome Empangeni in the adoption of this beautiful bo...
15/11/2025

Welcome Teddy! 🦋🥳🐶

Thank you to SPCA Empangeni for assisting ButterflyHome Empangeni in the adoption of this beautiful boy🫶🏻

Teddy has the sweetest personality and will be our resident therapy/watch doggie🐶 The children are loving the doggy cuddles and excitement in the home. We understand why dogs are man’s best friend as these photos are a testament of🫶🏻

Time flies when you are having fun!It feels like just yesterday that Sunny and Yassie excitedly put on their new pink sc...
13/11/2025

Time flies when you are having fun!

It feels like just yesterday that Sunny and Yassie excitedly put on their new pink scrubs (they were so keen on being carers!). It's strange to think that this was almost 3 years ago. Those little scrubs definitely don't fit anymore. 🥺🫶🏽

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Today we celebrate carer Bright Mngomezulu who celebrated his birthday last week and was promoted from a General Carer t...
12/11/2025

Today we celebrate carer Bright Mngomezulu who celebrated his birthday last week and was promoted from a General Carer to a Medical Carer.

Bright exemplifies what we value in our staff, namely competence, compassion, a joyful demeanour and commitment to professional patient care. With this promotion comes more responsibility as our Medical Carers are trained to administer medication, oxygen therapy, do suctioning and implement daily therapy programmes with the children.

Well done Bright. The sky is the limit for you and we are grateful to be a part of your professional journey.

12/11/2025

We are so excited to launch our FOOD FORWARD Drive! 🎉🥕🥦🍞

Are you a farmer, home baker, small business owner, grocery store manager, retailer, or restauranteur in the Zululand area?

At Butterfly Home Empangeni and Ingwavuma, we support children and families facing life-limiting and terminal illnesses. Part of our heart-work is blessing families with nutritious meals and groceries during home visits, especially during the hardest seasons of their lives.

If you ever end up with perfectly “good food” that is close to – or just past – its sell-by date, we would love to give it a second life. Instead of letting good produce or pantry items go to waste, please consider donating them to our children hospices.

👩‍🍳 We cook soups, stews, baked goods and hearty meals every day for our in-house children and our home-based care families. We can put your waste to good use!

Every carrot, onion, or loaf of bread can make a real difference.

If you’d like to contribute, reach out to Tarryn at tarryn@butterflyhome.org.za or drop donations at either of our children’s hospices:

EMPANGENI:
Butterfly Palliative Home
1 Eland Crescent
Nyala Park
Empangeni
3880
Contact Nr: +27 66 435 1302

INGWAVUMA:
Butterfly Palliative Home
Main Road
Ingwavuma
3968
Contact Nr: +27 71 580 4719

Thank you for helping us turn “still good” food into nourishment, comfort and hope.

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Our INGWAVUMA children’s hospice is currently in desperate need of the following essential items for doing home visits.....
12/11/2025

Our INGWAVUMA children’s hospice is currently in desperate need of the following essential items for doing home visits...

⭐️ Wet Wipes
⭐️ Gloves
⭐️ Sanitiser
⭐️ Sterilizing Liquid
⭐️ Linen Saver
⭐️ Baby Soap
⭐️ Nappies Sizes 2 & 3
⭐️ Formula

Any hero willing to bless our Butterflies can drop it off or have it delivered to:

INGWAVUMA:
Butterfly Palliative Home
Main Road
Ingwavuma
3968
Contact Nr: +27 71 580 4719

Alternatively, a donation can be made with the reference “wishlist”.

It truly takes a village to care for our Butterflies and we are so grateful to our virtual village who keep our hands and hearts strong! 🙌🏻💪🏽🤟🏻

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Hope's tiny feet.Looking at these cute little toes and perfect little soles, I am reminded that while we don't know how ...
11/11/2025

Hope's tiny feet.

Looking at these cute little toes and perfect little soles, I am reminded that while we don't know how long (or short) our journey with these little ones will be, the footprints they leave on our hearts are undeniably deep and permanent. Every day with the little ones in our children's hospice is a gift.

The time we share with them is measured in love, not in days.

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Empangeni friends, our peaceful garden seating is calling your name! 👋🏽👋🏽 Need a little pick-me-up this week?Why not com...
10/11/2025

Empangeni friends, our peaceful garden seating is calling your name! 👋🏽👋🏽

Need a little pick-me-up this week?
Why not combine your craving for a fantastic coffee with doing some good?

The Thrift (our Butterfly charity shop and home to Cultivate Coffee) is the perfect little sanctuary for catching up or just enjoying a quiet moment.

Grab a seriously delicious cup of Cultivate Coffee (you deserve it!) and check out the new, irresistible sweet bakes and eats on the counter today.
Browse our constantly updated racks of pre-loved treasures (clothing, accessories, and homeware) at amazing bargain prices.

Here's the best part: When you sip that coffee or snag that bargain, you're directly helping us care for vulnerable children with life-limiting conditions at Butterfly Home. It's a shopping trip and a good deed all rolled into one!

Come find your quiet moment this week at 1 Eland Crescent, Nyala Park, Empangeni. We can't wait to see your faces!

📍 1 Eland Crescent, Nyala Park, Empangeni
🕙 Monday to Friday: 7am to 5pm
🕙 Saturday: 8am - 1pm

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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

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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.