The memorial garden at Stepping Stone Hospice & Care Services is a beautiful and tranquil space for quiet contemplation, as well as a gathering place for families and patients to spend precious moments together.

We recently received a generous donation of garden furniture from Chantel Pienaar and family in memory of her mom, Hannelie Koen, who passed away at the age of 56 in our In-Patient Unit on Valentine’s Day last year.

Hannelie was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer and it took “six short months from start to end,” says Chantel, “even though my mom never smoked a day in her life. We made the donation of the garden furniture as I feel such a bond with Stepping Stone Hospice and the people there,” says Chantel. “I appreciated that they were always very honest with us when it came to my mom’s condition. It was very difficult to hear, but we needed that.

The manner in which the staff at the In-Patient Unit treated her and our family was very special. She passed in a loving, humane and dignified way, and I feel like I can still go there whenever I need to have a cry – Sister Sheryl Newman, Tersia (Burger, (CEO), Ruby Evrard, (Counsellor) and the lovely nursing staff are always ready with a hug for me, even though a year has passed since my mom was there. I believe that a piece of my mom will always be at Stepping Stone Hospice, so I will continue to do what I can for them.