Baby G Safe Haven NPC

05/09/2026

To all the parents and caregivers raising children with ADHD… how do you do it?

This week has been one of those weeks.

Actually, if I’m completely honest, the last three weeks have felt like one long, never-ending marathon.

This 6-year-old is my first real experience with ADHD, and boy… oh boy!

I have been sent from pillar to post — from one clinic to another, trying to get the right help and support. Speech therapists, occupational therapists, the Department of Education… phone calls, appointments, referrals, paperwork and more appointments.

Just when you think you have reached the end of the road, someone points you in another direction.

And through it all, there were sick babies needing attention too.

There were days when I felt like I was running on nothing but coffee, prayer and pure determination.

You love these children with everything you have, but sometimes you sit down at the end of the day and realise just how completely exhausted you are.

Tonight was one of those nights.

We were sitting around the table, and I was absolutely finished. My body was tired. My mind was tired. My heart was tired.

I was trying my best not to show it.

Then little S, only 3 years old, looked at me and asked:

“Mommy, are you okay?”

And just like that…

I smiled.

Because somehow, this little boy could see straight through me.

I hadn't said anything. I wasn't crying. I wasn't complaining. I was just sitting there, trying to hold everything together.

But he knew.

And in that tiny moment, all the exhaustion seemed a little lighter.

Sometimes we get so caught up in appointments, diagnoses, therapies, paperwork, responsibilities and trying to make everything work that we forget about the little moments happening right in front of us.

A tiny voice asking, “Mommy, are you okay?”

A little hand reaching for yours.

A child who simply needs you to be there.

Those moments are priceless.

So tonight, I don't have all the answers.

I don't know how other parents do it.

To the parents raising children with ADHD, special needs, big emotions and big challenges — I see you.

To the caregivers who spend their days fighting for appointments, assessments, support and understanding — I see you too.

Some days we are strong.

Some days we are exhausted.

Some days we wonder if we are doing enough.

And some days, a little 3-year-old looks at us and reminds us exactly why we keep going.

Tonight, little S reminded me that children don't need us to be perfect.

They just need us to love them.

And sometimes, they love us right back when we need it most.

So yes, Mommy is tired.

But Mommy is okay.

Because tonight, my little boy reminded me that even in the hardest weeks, there is still so much love around this table.

And that makes everything better. ❤️

31/08/2026

🎀 HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎀

To our little lady R
Today we celebrate YOU!
Our beautiful, kind-hearted and strong little girl.

You bring so much joy, laughter and love to everyone around you. Your beautiful smile brightens our days, and we are so blessed to have you in our lives.

May God’s love and protection always be with you, today and always. May He guide your little footsteps and surround you with love, happiness and beautiful memories.
Have the most beautiful birthday, our sweet girl!




We love you so much!

30/08/2026

Psalm 27:10 (KJV)
“When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.”

A reminder that even when a child is abandoned, they are never abandoned by God. 🙏🏻💕

29/08/2026

WE LOVE THEM IN THE IN-BETWEEN.

There is a part of foster care that people don't always see.

They see the tiny baby being cuddled.

They see the smiles.

They see the safe bed, the clean clothes, the full tummy and the loving arms.

But they don't always see the heartbreak that brought that little child through our door.

Because while we are holding a precious little one close to our hearts, somewhere there is a biological family wondering what happened to their baby.

There may be a mother crying tonight.

A father who doesn't know what tomorrow holds.

A family facing circumstances that none of us can fully understand.

And that is why, when I hold this sweet little one in my arms, I don't just pray for him.

I pray for them too.

I pray for his biological family.

I pray that they find strength.

I pray that they find healing.

I pray that whatever needs to change, changes.

I pray that doors open where there seem to be none.

And I pray that their story doesn't end here.

Because foster care isn't about replacing a family.

It's about standing in the gap when a child needs someone to stand there.

It's about saying:

"While you are going through this, you are not forgotten."

"Your child is loved."

"You are still worthy."

"This moment does not have to be the end of your story."

We are sometimes only a small chapter in a child's life.

We may be the arms that hold them through the night.

The voice that comforts them when they cry.

The person who celebrates their first smile, their first steps, their first birthday.

And then, one day, we may have to let them go.

And that hurts.

Oh, how it hurts.

But loving a child was never supposed to be about what we get to keep.

Sometimes love means giving them everything they need for this season and trusting God with the chapters we cannot see.

We are the bridge between the unknown and whatever comes next.

We are the safe place in the storm.

The stepping stone.

The temporary home that can leave a permanent imprint on a little heart.

And what an incredible privilege that is.

To love them when their world is uncertain.

To believe in them when their story is still being written.

To believe in their families when life has fallen apart.

To believe that change is possible.

Because every child is worthy.

Every family is worthy of compassion.

And every story deserves the possibility of redemption, healing and a beautiful new beginning.

So tonight, as I hold this precious little one close, I am grateful.

Grateful that we get to love her.

Grateful that he is safe.

And grateful that, for however long we are given, we get to be part of his story.

We love them in the in-between.

And we will keep loving them with everything we have.

27/08/2026

The Little Girl Who Found Her Smile Again

I woke up early this morning with the little ones on my mind—the children who came to us carrying pain far too heavy for their tiny bodies.

And then I saw her face in my mind.

Beautiful little S.

When S came to us, she had just spent six months in hospital and ICU, after enduring things no human being, especially no child, should ever have to experience.

I will never forget the day the social worker arrived with her.

I couldn't stop crying.

I cried that day. I cried when I went to bed. And I cried again when I woke up the next morning.

She was only two years old, but the little girl standing in front of me seemed to have lost so much of who she was. Her smile was gone. Her voice was gone. She was broken in ways that were difficult to put into words.

My heart cried out for her.

No little girl should ever have to go through what S went through.

So we loved her.

We held her. We spoke softly to her. We played with her. We sang to her. We prayed over her little body. We gave her time, patience and, most importantly, a safe place where she could begin to trust again.

Slowly, something beautiful began to happen.

The little girl who had forgotten how to smile began to smile again.

She started to trust.

She started to walk.

She found her voice.

And then one day, we heard her sing.

There are moments in foster care that you carry in your heart forever. Watching S find her way back to herself was one of those moments.

We prayed so much for her healing, and we witnessed what felt like a miracle before our eyes. God was healing her little body and, piece by piece, helping her find the little girl who had been buried beneath so much pain.

And then came the day we had always known would come.

The day S left us.

We knew she needed to continue her journey, and we were grateful for every step forward she had taken. But when she walked out of our home, she took a little piece of our hearts with her.

We will never forget her.

We will never forget the tiny girl who arrived without a smile or a voice and who left us singing.

And most of all, we will never forget that beautiful smile.

Because sometimes, being a safe place for a child doesn't mean they stay forever.

Sometimes, it means loving them enough to help them heal, giving them their smile back, and then trusting God with the rest of their journey.

Little S, wherever you are today, I hope you know this:

You were loved. You are precious. You are worthy. And your beautiful smile will forever live in our hearts.

25/08/2026

😢 This is so sad

Mama G, Aunty Nos and Aunty Jo are away for the week, our last little break before the silly season begins.

Back home, Mama G’s husband, our senior caregiver and two other incredible ladies are holding the fort.

But the crisis facing Durban’s children does not care that we are on holiday.

It does not pause because we are tired.
It does not wait until we are back.
And it does not stop the phone from ringing.

Last night, we received a call about a newborn baby who had been abandoned. Thankfully, family members had raised the alarm, the police became involved and relatives were found.

Then today, at around 5pm, the phone rang again.

Police officers from the Toti area were on the other end, shocked, overwhelmed and slightly panicked.

They had found a freshly born baby, inside a Woolies shopping bag.

No blanket.
No clothing.
Nothing to keep that tiny body warm.

The umbilical cord had not even been clamped. It appeared that this precious little baby had been born outside a hospital, placed inside a shopping bag and left behind.

A baby who had only just taken their first breath.

The police asked us, “What do we do now?”

And even from far away, we stepped in.

We helped them with the documents they needed. We helped find a safe place for the baby while they collected the remaining paperwork and prepared for court tomorrow.

Tonight, that baby is no longer lying cold and alone inside a shopping bag.

Tonight, that baby is safe.
Warm.
Fed.
And already so, so loved.

But our hearts are shattered.

Two newborn abandonment calls in less than 24 hours.

Babies should enter this world into waiting arms, not shopping bags.

This is the crisis our children are facing. This is the reality behind the calls we receive. And once you know it, you cannot simply switch off your phone and pretend it is not happening.

Holiday or not, we will answer.

We will guide.
We will step in.
We will help wherever we can.

Because when a tiny life is hanging in the balance, being “away” no longer matters.

Our hearts may break over and over again but our children will never stop mattering.

We will always be here.

24/08/2026

When you came to me, you were so tiny that I honestly believed love would be able to protect you from everything that had happened before.

I thought the cuddles, the bedtime stories, the gentle hands and the safety around you would be enough to make the past disappear.

But children don't always carry trauma in memories they can explain.

Sometimes it lives in their reactions.

In their fears.

In the way they cling, withdraw, test boundaries, or struggle to trust that someone will stay.

As you grew, I began to understand that some of the things I couldn't explain were little pieces of a story that started long before I met you.

And that broke my heart.

Because if I could have gone back, I would have found you sooner.

I would have protected you sooner.

But I can't change yesterday.

What I can do is give you today.

And tomorrow.

I can be the person who keeps showing up, even when things are hard.

The person who doesn't walk away when you are struggling.

The person who reminds you, again and again, that you are loved and safe.

You don't have to forget your past for us to have a beautiful future.

You don't have to be "fixed."

You just need people who are willing to understand you, be patient with you, and walk beside you.

So I may not have been able to stop the hurt from finding you.

But I can make sure you never have to face the healing alone.

And whenever that little heart of yours wonders, “Will you stay?”

My answer will always be:

Yes, my precious child. I'm here.

22/08/2026

Dear biological mom of my children,

I think about you more than you probably realize.

I wonder if you think about them. If you wonder what they’re doing, what they love right now, what makes them laugh. If you wonder whether they still have that same scrunched-up nose when they smile.

I wonder if there are quiet moments when you miss them so much it physically hurts.

And sometimes I wonder if you wonder about me.

I don’t know what you would say if we sat across from each other today. I don’t know if there would be anger or sadness or relief or a little bit of everything.

But if I could sit with you for a while, there are some things I would want you to know.

They are so incredibly loved.

Not just in the they have everything they need kind of way.

I mean the deep, steady, you belong here kind of love.

The kind that tucks them in at night and checks on them one more time before bed. The kind that knows which cup they want and which song makes them dance. The kind that sits beside them when they’re hurting and celebrates the tiny things nobody else would understand.

The kind that whispers prayers over them while they’re sleeping.

They are loved by us.

But even more than that, they are loved by a God who has never, not for one second, taken His hand off of them.

And they are happy.

They dance in our living room. They belly laugh until everyone else starts laughing too. They make enormous messes. They argue with their siblings. They ask for seventeen snacks five minutes after dinner.

They have people who think they hung the moon.

They’re growing.

They’re healing.

They’re okay.

And Mama, I want you to know something else.

I see you.

Not just a name in paperwork.

Not just the worst decisions you’ve ever made.

Not just the things written in court reports or discussed in rooms you weren’t always standing in.

I see the woman who carried these babies before I ever held them.

You gave them things I never could.

There are pieces of you woven into them that I get the privilege of seeing every single day. A smile. A stubborn streak. A facial expression that makes me stop sometimes and think, That’s her.

And I love those pieces too.

Sometimes I watch your babies together and wonder if you know how much they love each other. They have each other. They share a history and a connection that existed long before I became part of their story. That piece of where they came from is still here, and I will always honor it.

I was never supposed to erase you.

And I don’t want to.

My love for them does not require me to pretend you never existed.

I am not your replacement.

I’m simply another mother who loves the same children you do.

And I pray for you.

I pray for healing. I pray for peace. I pray that wherever life takes you, you eventually understand that your worst chapter does not have to be the last chapter God writes.

Because grace reaches farther than we sometimes believe it can.

And if there’s one thing I hope you somehow know, it’s this:

Your babies are loved.

They are safe.

They are prayed over.

They are surrounded by people who will keep showing up.

And I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to love them well.

Not because I won.

Not because you lost.

Because two things can be true at once.

I can be unbelievably grateful that I get to be their mom…

and still grieve that becoming their mom meant another mother had to lose so much.

There was never a winner here.

There were simply children who needed permanency and adults trying to figure out how to carry a story none of us would have chosen.

And no matter how complicated that story becomes, there is one thing you and I will always share.

We love the same children.

And that will always matter to me.

Credit to: The feathered nest blog

21/08/2026

Today, we just want to stop for a moment and say THANK YOU.

Thank you to the incredible people who bought medicine for our new little baby when we needed it. Thank you for the nappies and formula, the things that seem so simple but mean the absolute world to us.

Thank you to my beautiful friends who have bought clothes for the babies, making sure these little ones are warm, comfortable and cared for.

Thank you for every WhatsApp message saying, “We are praying for you and the babies.” Please know that every single message is felt. On the hard days, those prayers carry us.

A very special thank you to our amazing Rachél van der Merwe , who is working so hard to raise funds for the JoJo tank we so urgently need. Your heart and determination amaze us.

Thank you to my daughter, who comes and helps babysit, especially while I am spending so many hours at the clinic with the bigger children. I honestly don't know what I would do without you.

Thank you to my precious Mom, who steps in to help with the cranky, crying and traumatised babies. Your love, patience and helping hands mean more than words can ever say.

And thank you to my amazing husband, who keeps everything going at home — cooking, preparing lunches for the toddlers and making sure everyone is fed and cared for while I am busy with the children.

Sometimes I look around and realise that we are not doing this alone.

We have a village.

Friends. Family. Extended family. People we have never even met in person. People who see a need and simply open their hearts and their hands.

And first of all, thank You, God.

Thank You for every blessing. Thank You for providing when we don't know where the next thing will come from. Thank You for sending people at exactly the right moment. Thank You for surrounding these precious children with people who care.

My cup truly overflows.

From our family and all the little ones at Baby G Safe Haven — THANK YOU.

You are part of this journey. You are part of their story. And we are so incredibly grateful.

20/08/2026

Three years ago, the social worker phoned us and asked, “Do you have space for a newborn? He is only a few hours old…”

And just like that, our lives changed forever.

The rest is history.

You took this family’s hearts in an instant and taught us a love we never knew was possible. You arrived so tiny, so precious, and completely stole our hearts.

You are one of the happiest little souls I have ever met. Your smile lights up every room, your laughter fills our home, and I honestly cannot imagine our lives without your beautiful little life in it.

You have brought us more joy, more laughter and more love than words could ever explain.

Happy 3rd birthday, our beautiful child!

May your life always be filled with love, happiness, protection and endless blessings. May you be blessed far more than you could ever dream or imagine.

We love you more than words can say.

#𝑩𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅𝑩𝒆𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒅𝑴𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆