A Christmas celebration waiting on the other side of hospital

Loading player...
A Johannesburg teenager has raised thousands of rands to give seriously ill children a Christmas to remember.

Fourteen-year-old Olivia Busfy from Steyn City was inspired after hearing about "Marang House" here on HOT1027 — when Hot Cares and our friends at Jet Ubunye delivered a van-load of new clothes and educational toys to children undergoing long-term medical treatment.

Marang House, in Roosevelt Park, is a specialised home that cares for children living with chronic and life-threatening illnesses — including kidney failure, diabetes and heart conditions.

Many come from rural provinces like Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, and would otherwise spend months — even years — in hospital wards.

Instead, they’re given a safe, family-style home with round-the-clock care, regular hospital visits, schooling support...and the chance to just be kids.

HOT1027’s Tara Penny has the story...
23 Dec 2025 English South Africa Entertainment News · Documentary

Other recent episodes

Tolkien fans will be toasting "The Professor"

Every year on the 3rd of January, at exactly 9pm, fans of J.R.R. Tolkien raise a glass and toast “The Professor!” — honouring the Oxford academic who gave the world The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. But this quintessentially English writer was, in fact, born in the Free…
2 Jan 1 min

The Tram-Shed That Became a Sanctuary

Driving through Yeoville can be an assault on the senses - cars, taxis and pedestrians all vying for space...and that’s only on the pavement. But if you need a break from the stress in the New Year, you can duck into the Yeoville Public Library at 51 Raleigh Street. It’s…
31 Dec 2025 1 min

The wartime Christmas cake that fell from the sky

With many spending the festive season at the coast in KZN , some will be passing through Ladysmith — a town with one of the strangest Christmas stories in wartime history. HOT1027’s Al Prodgers takes a look …
24 Dec 2025 1 min

The ancient magic of the Redan Rock Engravings

If you ever take a drive through Vereeniging, you’ll find the usual landmarks — the Peace Monument, the Sharpeville Monument - reminders of more recent chapters in our history. But tucked away nearby lies something far older, far quieter, and now at risk of being lost forever — it's a…
15 Dec 2025 1 min

Hot Cares Weekly Round up: Safety , dignity & the gift of sight

Disabled children are moving safely again, vulnerable seniors have vital hygiene supplies, and a hardworking woman will soon be able to see — all thanks to HOT1027 listeners. It’s been another rewarding week making a meaningful difference with Hot Cares here on HOT1027 — to the tune of R176 200…
28 Nov 2025 2 min