The Gabriella Centre, a 24-hour residential and holistic therapeutic educational care facility for children and young adults with cerebral palsy, marks 25 years of invaluable service aimed at breaking the stigma and raising awareness of the neurological condition which primarily causes physical impairment.
The Somerset West facility celebrates its quadranscentennial anniversary next month (June) and will be hosting a silver jubilee fundraiser with acclaimed comedian Barry Hilton at the Somerset West Country Club on Friday 2 June.
“It is going to be an amazing evening filled with hysterical laughter but also an opportunity to share with our community more about the Gabriella Centre,” said Operations Manager Sabrina Chalmers.
Furthermore, the local coffee shop Sage & Thyme is donating R2 for every hot beverage purchased during the month of May. The funds raised will be used to purchase incontinence products for the young beneficiaries who are dependent on the much-needed toiletry items.
The centre, located in Helderberg Road, was inspired by a person named Gabriella, or “Gaby” as she is fondly known, who has cerebral palsy. Only eight years old when the centre was established, she grew up in a loving and nurturing home with her family, supporting and providing for her every need. However, there was one thing she was missing, and that was friends. There was no centre in the area that her mother, Natalie Russell, felt was suitable for her daughters’ specific needs, so she officially founded the facility on 1 June 1998. She also serves as its CEO, an institution with a vision to inspire, respect and accomplish equality for persons with special needs, . Initially, only two children benefited from its services, offered in a small rented facility that required Russell and her assistant to pack up all equipment for storage at the end of every day. However, the centre soon grew from humble beginnings, as a great need for facilities of its kind providing unique care to children with physical and intellectual challenges was realised.
The centre later moved to its current premises, which is much larger and could accommodate more children. The structure was later adapted for a staff-to-child ratio of 1:4 with the addition of a cleaner and manager. With children growing into young adults and parents experiencing difficulty in caring for them at home, the idea of the residential facility came to light. In 2011, the residential section was developed with seven individually decorated rooms to cater for 12 residents.
“Currently we have 16 children and young adults, our youngest is five and our oldest is 46 years old,” said Chalmers. “We strongly believe that education should not be limited by age and this is why we continue with goal orientated programmes no matter the age or ability of those in our care because with a little bit of patience, incredible achievements have occurred.”
The Gabriella Centre boasts an “amazing” team of 19 women comprising the operational management team, a physiotherapist, a programme implementor, an educational facilitator, a registered sister, caregivers, cooks and housekeepers, all working together to provide the very best possible care to residents and day care attendees with complex special needs.
According to Chalmers the centre prides itself in being “one big inclusive family”. “Every resident, day care attendee, parent and staff member is considered family,” she said. “Family always supports one another and loves unconditionally We pride our selves on our beautiful home-from-home centre that provides the highest-quality care and advocacy to those with cerebral palsy and other neurodevelopmental challenges. Gabriella Centre is a testament to the power of compassion and dedication.”
Apart from several challenges including funding as the non-profit organisation relies “heavily” on donations and grants to remain operational as well as the ever-increasing cost-of-living and expensive equipment and resources, the centre is blessed to have persevered and remained operational for 25 years despite every stumble block that may have resulted in closure.
“We are a Christian centre and we know God has led us to empower, support and encourage those with special needs,” said Chalmers. “We are incredibly dedicated to working tirelessly with those in our care and we have witnessed incredible successes through the years.”
Asked what their hopes for the centre’s future is, Chalmers responded: “To continue being a beacon of hope and support for those in our care who have complex special needs as well as their families. We will continue to advocate for the rights of those with cerebral palsy in order to provide them with the resources, care and support needed to thrive whilst encouraging inclusivity within the community.”
She further expressed their collective wish for the opportunity to broaden their reach to more people in the community particularly in the informal settlements. “We would love a wheelchair-friendly bus, so we can transport children to and from our centre, where they’re provided with the therapeutic and educational intervention they so deserve, and to take our residents on more excursions together. Currently we use our personal vehicles to take the residents to appointments and unfortunately this is not the best solution as wheelchairs often do not fit.”
Furthermore, they want to help the community better understand what cerebral palsy is, and those living with the condition deserve the exact same respect and consideration as anyone else. “Cerebral palsy is often misunderstood and stigmatised,” Chalmers understood. “There are still people who have negative attitudes towards those with cerebral palsy and are nasty to them because they are ‘different’. They assume people with cerebral palsy are unintelligent just because their way of communicating differs from an able-bodied, neurotypical person. This causes those with cerebral palsy to feel incredibly isolated and excluded. We want to break the stigma and raise awareness about cerebral palsy. If you are curious please don’t stare, rather come say hello and let us explain more.”
