12 May 2013 will see another Mothers Day roll around. Most of usbuy chocolates, flowers, and spend the day spoiling our moms. But some mothers won’t get to enjoy that luxury, because this year they’ll be sitting beside their child’s hospital bed, praying for a miracle.

Worst of all, there will be mother’s without hope, who have lost children because they didn’t have access to competent care for their sick or injured child. The Red Cross Children’s hospital is only large-scale medical facility dedicated entirely to the treatment of children in South Africa, with some 8,000 children treated there on an annual basis, and the Children’s Hospital Trust aims to improve that statistic by building a Research and Education Centre.

Louise Driver, CEO of the Children’s Hospital Trust said:

Whether you are a mother or wish to honour your mother, we would like to ask Groupon shoppers to consider being a part of this fundraising endeavour to build this facility brick by brick. It is an incredible opportunity for donors to lay claim to the bricks and mortar of this Centre and give children the freedom to live their lives as they should instead of being confined to a hospital bed.

The fundraising platform will be provided by Groupon, with 100% of the funds donated towards the Children’s Hospital Trust initiative to build a Research and Eduaction Centre. The centre will also accomodate a Safety Demonstration House at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s hospital.

A R25 donation buys 15 bricks for the construction of the facilities.

R50 buys 30.

R100 buys 60.

Groupon CEO Daniel Guasco said:

It is more than juts donating though. If 1,000 people donate the cost of a bunch of beautiful flowers, we will have enough to build the walls for this building! So, we are appealing for people to share the message. To make this Mother’s Day about more than beautiful flowers – to make it about making the home a safer place for children, as it should be. That is why we have partnered with the Trust again, so that their message can reach as many people as possible for this two-week campaign, and to make it easy for donors to share their good deed through social media. On the donor deal page there is an option to share on Facebook, Twitter or email, and we encourage people to do just that.

R6,4 million is needed to build the Research and Education Centre with a Safety Demonstration House, and your donation could get construction underway as soon as November 2013.

Groupon Grassroots and the Children’s Hosptial Trust charity gift vouchers are available right now, and will be until 12 May 2013.

You can donate to the children’s Hospital Fund in the following ways:

1. Purchase something via Groupon.

2. Donate online

3. Make a direct deposit to Children’s Hospital Trust account:

Bank: Standard Bank

Account number: 071443126

Reference: Mother’s Day