When

Saturday 14 June 2025 from 08:30 – 15:30
We have a very full programme. The workshop will start promptly at 08:45 so please plan to arrive between 08h00 and 08h30 so as not to miss anything!

Venue

Conference Centre, Stonefountain Terrace, 95 Klipfontein Rd, Rondebosch (Opposite Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital)

Registration fee

R450 per person needing CPD points
R350 per person not needing CPD points


Registration covers the workshop, lunch and refreshments. Certain dietary needs will be catered for – please see the registration form.

Who should attend?

This workshop will focus on providing palliative care from the time of a diagnosis of a life-threatening or life-limiting condition of the fetus or the baby. We welcome anyone who may be involved in the care of a mother and her child during pregnancy, birth and post-natal period, including but not limited to:

  • Parents
  • Healthcare providers such as doctors, midwives, nurses, etc.
  • Social workers
  • Therapists
  • Genetic Counsellors
  • Clinical Geneticists
  • Funeral Directors and employees
  • Bereavement Doulas

Presenters

Presenters and workshop facilitators will include:

  • Sr Tracy Rawlins
  • Dr Michelle Meiring
  • Mari Stevens
  • Dr Shetil Nana
  • Tracey Aitken
  • Mohamed Rawoot
  • Dr Nicole Bell

CPD Points

The Workshop has been allocated 5 General and 1 Ethics Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points from UCT.
Please indicate on the registration form if you need CPD points and provide us with your HPCSA Registration number. 

Collaborating Organisations

Workshop Presenters

Dr Michelle Meiring
Paediatrician

Dr Michelle Meiring is a Palliative Care Paediatrician who has worked in this field for 20 years. She is the founder and CEO of Paedspal and works 20 hours a week for the organisation. Michelle’s other job is to convene the Post-Graduate Diploma in Paediatric Palliative Care at the University of Cape Town. She is an accomplished speaker and has presented at several local and international conferences. She was also one of four editors of the latest edition of the Oxford Textbook on Palliative Care for Children. A long-standing child health and palliative care advocate since her “Paeds HIV-days”, Michelle is the immediate past chair and sits on the board of the national network for Children’s Palliative care known as PatchSA and has been involved at provincial and national levels in policy making in palliative care in South Africa.

Sr Tracy Rawlins
Education Manager at PatchSA

Tracy Rawlins is a qualified professional nurse, midwife and health educator. Her experience in caring for the terminally ill in her community laid the foundation for her qualification in adult palliative care but her heart and passion has always been in working with babies and children. She successfully completed her post grad diploma in Paediatric Palliative care medicine in 2017 cum laude. She is the Education and Training Manager at PatchSA and is an instructional designer and facilitator of the Patch Academy online courses.

Dr Shetil Nana
Paediatrician

Dr Shetil Nana is a paediatrician and paediatric critical care consultant with over a decade of experience in both the public and private sectors. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Paediatric Palliative Care and currently works at Mowbray Maternity Hospital. She joined the Paedspal family in 2022 in a Locum capacity. She is passionate about expanding neonatal palliative care services and ensuring that babies and their families receive the best comprehensive and compassionate care. Outside of work, she enjoys baking and spending quality time with her labradors in the great outdoors.

Mari Stevens
Music Therapist

Mari Stevens is a registered music therapist (MA Music Therapy) from Cape Town. A diverse private therapy practise and NGO involvement offers her extensive experience in working with complex trauma, psychiatry, and special needs, working with both adult and paediatric clients. With a post graduate diploma in paediatric palliative medicine, Mari has been part of the psychotherapy team at Paedspal, a specialist paediatric palliative care organisation, since 2021. Along with the privilege of direct client work, Mari enjoys collaborating with other practitioners in teaching, presenting, and advocating around palliative care, mental health and psychotherapy services and have presented on both local and international platforms. Besides for enjoying family life with her husband and two busy boys, Mari is a performing cellist and music teacher and fitness enthusiast.

Mohamed Rawoot
Clinical Psychologist

Mohamed Rawoot is a Clinical Psychologist specializing in trauma, grief and integrative psychotherapy. He works with the South African Military Health Services and Groote Schuur Hospital and serves as the in – house psychologist at Warriors of Hope.

He provides holistic mental health support grounded in Islamic principles, with expertise in perinatal care and spiritual support.

Tracey Aitken
Founder of The Zoe Project

Tracey Aitken, the founder of The Zoe Project in Cape Town, South Africa, is a firm believer that with God, all things are possible. She started the project 24 years ago with a vision to make a difference, and it has since grown to include over 80 volunteers working in Clinics and Maternity Units throughout Cape Town as well as Mowbray Maternity Hospital. The Zoe Project also has a branch in Zimbabwe. The Zoe Project assists thousands of individuals, new moms, babies and families each year through crisis situations, pregnancy and childbirth. Tracey has a passion for counselling and is dedicated to helping people find healing, guiding them to overcome past traumas and hurts. She is married to Graeme and is blessed with three children and four grandchildren. Her faith and compassion continue to inspire and transform lives.

Dr Nicole Bell
Medical Officer at Mowbray Maternity Hospital

Dr Nicole Bell is a medical officer in neonatology at Mowbray Maternity Hospital. Originally from Durban, she completed her MBChB at the University of Cape Town in 2018. Throughout her studies, internship, and community service, she has always had an interest in palliative care and the important role it plays in holistic patient care. Since joining the team at Mowbray Maternity Hospital, she has used her crafty interests to start a number of projects geared towards memory-making in perinatal palliative care. When she is not at the hospital, she enjoys spending time with her husband, son, and little yorkie.

Final Programme

Time

Topic

Presenter
08:40 – 09:10 Arrival and Registration
09:10 – 09:20 Welcome and Introductions Dr Michelle Meiring
09:20 – 09:40 Case Study – A Pregnancy Journey Tracey Aitken
09:40 – 10:00 Case Study – Born too soon – A Preterm Journey Dr Shetil Nana
10:00 – 10:20  Discussion of challenges experienced Dr Michelle Meiring
10:20 – 10:40 TEA BREAK
10:40 – 11:20 Integration of a palliative care framework into perinatal and neonatal care within a South African context Sr Tracy Rawlins
11:20 – 12:00 Principles of perinatal and neonatal palliative care including ethical considerations Dr Shetil Nana
12:00- 12:40  Addressing the needs of parents and families along their journey  Mari Stevens
12:40 – 12:50 Discussion
12:50 – 13:20 LUNCH
13:20 – 14:00 Addressing the spiritual needs of babies and families Dr Michelle Meiring
Mohamed Rawoot
14:00 – 14:40 Crafting legacies of love: the significance of memory making after perinatal loss and stillbirth Nicole Bell
Tracy Rawlins
14:40 – 15:15 Bringing it all together: Reimagining the baby and family’s journeys Dr Shetil Nana
Tracey Aitken
15:15 – 15:30 Wrap up and Close Dr Michelle Meiring

Registration for this workshop has now closed