Why I Paed

Whenever I talk about my love for child health, and my intention to pursue it as a career, I get this kind of response:

“Oh, I could never work with kids. It just breaks my heart to see them suffer!”

Unrealistic YA Fiction Is Not Such A Big Problem

Despite the fact that we live in a century of possibility, it is a world where young people are constantly told to be realistic. Make realistic career choices, be stable, don’t rock the boat too much; and for god’s sake don’t go looking for trouble while traveling abroad.

An Audio Treat in Afrikaans

As a little girl, my dad created a special story and character with which to entertain me at bedtime. Her name was Lientjie (pronounced “Linky”) and she was a “cheerful butterfly”. As you may recall, my dad is visually impaired, so bedtime stories were told (often of his own invention, as is this one) and not read.

7 Reasons I Love Our Middle Sibling

When I think of her, I think of an octopus that reaches out and draws each family member closer to home.

I’m not very good at this compliment-thing.

Seven Years! A Milestone of Sorts.

I realised that I don’t feel sad when I think back on these things. I read through my journal of September-October 2008 and I thought fondly of the girl who agonised about her first HIV-test (the one that was strongly suggested in our admissions packet), and who worried that her university would be too conservative for her (it was a little conservative), and who honestly believed that she would find a cure to HIV.

What I See In Your Photos With “Poor African Children”

5. I see someone who took a picture of an attraction.

We take pictures of the Taj Mahal and Mauna Loa and the Shwedagon Pagoda and Table Mountain and so, why not, of these adorable African children. And we post them online too, because the world must see what we saw.

Top Ten #Booknerd Characters

In line with the diversity theme, what’s the best moment in reading? Discovering a character you can relate to. For me, this is often when I find a character that loves books/words/geekiness just like I do.

Throwback: Roadtrip Through History

I wrote this post as a note on Facebook exactly five years ago, 6 July 2010. I’m often ashamed when I read my past writings, but this isn’t one of those times. I’ve left it exactly as is. I’m not sure how much sense it will make to people who are not familiar with South

My Booming Frontal Cortex

It started with a feelings of disconnect and then intense reconnection; and a lot of confusion about my role in society as a doctor, a daughter, a sister, a partner, a citizen.

Stories from the Paeds Slate

Anaesthesiology is hard, guys. And paediatric anaesthesia even more so. But I really like my days on the Paeds Slate because the theater is out-of-this-world amazing. Everything is in stock (well, mostly) and the nurses are out-of-this-world competent and everything is just nice. We gassed for a simple inguinal hernia repair and did a caudal