{"id":11378,"date":"2026-01-08T14:53:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T14:53:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/11378\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T14:53:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T14:53:13","slug":"where-care-meets-courage-indianapolis-company-supports-nicu-families-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/11378\/","title":{"rendered":"Where care meets courage: Indianapolis company supports NICU families in South Africa\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Critically ill and premature infants and their families in South Africa are receiving much-needed support thanks to a charitable donation from an Indianapolis-based, family-owned business.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pinnacle Equipment Company, a locally owned HVAC business, made\u00a0the \u00a0donation\u00a0to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Psi Tau Omega Chapter, supporting families at Charlotte\u00a0Maxeke\u00a0Johannesburg Academic Hospital in Johannesburg. The donation enabled the assembly and delivery of NICU care packages to parents whose infants are receiving treatment in the hospital\u2019s Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Units.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pinnacle Equipment founders Andre and Shelley Jones said their\u00a0previous\u00a0visit to South Africa inspired the donation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"(Photos provided\/Tracy Swatts Whitfield)<\/p>\n

\u201cOur visit to South Africa made a lasting impression on us, and we knew we wanted to give back,\u201d the Joneses said. \u201cSupporting communities where the need is greatest is simply part of who we are at Pinnacle.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The donation supported the distribution of 25 care packages on Dec. 18, 2025. Each package included essential baby items, hygiene supplies, and affirmation cards. Mothers staying at the hospital\u2019s Mother Lodger Facility while their babies receive care were also supported. In addition, a tree was planted in honor of each child through One Tree Planted, symbolizing life,\u00a0hope\u00a0and growth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Founded in 1890, Charlotte\u00a0Maxeke\u00a0Johannesburg Academic Hospital, often referred to as Joburg Gen, is one of South Africa\u2019s oldest public hospitals and serves thousands of low-income and high-risk families each year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOn behalf of the Neonatal Unit at Charlotte\u00a0Maxeke\u00a0Johannesburg Academic Hospital, I extend our sincere gratitude to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority for their kindness and generosity,\u201d said Professor Tanusha Ramdin, Head of the Neonatal Unit. \u201cYour thoughtful support has made the mothers of our most vulnerable and tiny babies feel seen, valued, and strengthened during an incredibly challenging time. Your compassion reminds them that they are not alone as they\u00a0remain\u00a0strong for their babies while in our\u00a0care.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The care packages were distributed by members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Psi Tau Omega Chapter, a Johannesburg-based chapter chartered in 2013 that works to empower families across South Africa through service initiatives.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"(Photos provided\/Tracy Swatts Whitfield)<\/p>\n

\u201cAs members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated\u00ae, our service extends across regions and borders, guided by compassion and responsibility,\u201d said\u00a0soror\u00a0Tandie\u00a0Mpabanga-Nyathi, president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated\u00ae Psi Tau Omega Chapter. \u201cThrough collaborative efforts like this, Psi Tau Omega remains committed to uplifting families, strengthening communities, and creating meaningful global impact where it is needed most.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to Tracy Swatts Whitfield, Empower Our Communities Chair for the Psi Tau Omega Chapter, the donation reflects the impact of local leadership connected to global service.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis global gift has ensured that these courageous families are seen, loved and supported during an incredibly stressful time,\u201d Whitfield said. \u201cIt lets them know they are not alone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

This reporting is made possible by a grant from the Indianapolis\u00a0African-American\u00a0Quality of Life Initiative, empowering our community with essential health insights.\u202fhttps:\/\/iaaqli.org\/<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna\u00a0Rauworth\u00a0at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram\u00a0at @hanna.rauworth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"hanna<\/a><\/p>\n

Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Critically ill and premature infants and their families in South Africa are receiving much-needed support thanks to a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11379,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[63,7751,7752,1458,3029,3091,3144,7753,7754,7755,3263,7756,96,7757,131,3756,7758],"class_list":{"0":"post-11378","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-africa","8":"tag-africa","9":"tag-aka","10":"tag-alpha-kappa-alpha","11":"tag-babies","12":"tag-community","13":"tag-families","14":"tag-health","15":"tag-iaaqli","16":"tag-indiana","17":"tag-indianapolis","18":"tag-local-news","19":"tag-mothers","20":"tag-news","21":"tag-nicu","22":"tag-south-africa","23":"tag-top-stories","24":"tag-top-story"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11378"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11378\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}