What Is The Purpose Of A Dream Room?

It is a room (in a hospital, in a children’s ward) that is converted into a place where children who are unwell can go and feel better. A Dream Room has an environment that assists in healing and helps these children feel uplifted and stimulated. A Dream Room is a safe place where children are able to go during their long stay in hospital to just be a child, ensuring that their developmental milestones are met.

What Does A Dream Room Offer?

A Dream Room provides unwell children with stimulation that they would not necessarily get by lying in a hospital bed (having no place to go).
This escape, although in the hospital, will allow children to leave the hospital ward and engage in activities such as:

Imaginary play (lego, doll house, imaginary cooking and building), educational games (board games and tablets will provide children with the opportunity to still learn), electronic distractions (game consoles) and creative crafts (beading, painting, drawing, stamping and knitting).

How Can Our Dream Room Be Utilized ?

In hospital consultations to potential dreamers:

Reach For A Dream can assess dreamers in the room to see what dream they would like to be fulfilled. The Foundation can fulfil dreams in the room for children who are not allowed out of the hospital – this will really add value to the dream quality and the families. Host Queen For A Day, Captain Courage or Jabulani Entertainers.
Dreams are often fulfilled at hospital bed side, this allows for an enhanced experience for children, in a more stimulating environment.

Current Development

To date, The Foundation has proudly opened 19 Dream Rooms in various hospitals around the country. These include Chris Hani Baragwanath, Charlotte Maxeke, Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria and The Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town. These Dream Rooms have created much popularity amongst the children in hospital.

RFAD-Kimberley-Dream-Room-Plan

These beautiful spacious facilities are a dream come true for the many children fighting life-threatening illness on a daily basis. The Foundation is thankful to the hospital staff, nurses and volunteers who assist us in making this a reality. The Foundation is happy to share that two more Dream Rooms are currently being built in Kimberly and Polokwane (see floor plan above).