Hot Cares helps turn a mother’s daily reminder into hope

At Hot Cares, we meet many brave South Africans whose strength humbles us. Dee Jardim is one of them — a mother of three and a travel consultant whose life changed in 2021 when a severe dental infection spread rapidly, shutting her eye and putting her life at risk. She was rushed from Edenvale Hospital to Chris Hani Baragwanath and underwent two emergency surgeries. Because she’s allergic to penicillin, treatment was complex, and she spent weeks fighting to recover. The infection was so aggressive that it thinned her cheek from the inside, eventually tearing through from mouth to skin.

By faith and perseverance, the wound closed — but the trauma left a visible facial deformity and nerve damage that still affects her daily life.

For Dee, this has never been about vanity. It’s about dignity, comfort, and confidence — being able to meet clients without feeling self-conscious, to smile for her children without pain, and to put a devastating chapter behind her. As the cost of living climbed, saving for corrective surgery proved impossible, even after returning to work in 2022. Yet she kept going — for her family, her clients, and her future.

Hot Cares believes healing should extend beyond survival. It should restore hope. That’s why we’re honoured to share that Hot Cares will cover the full cost of Dee’s corrective procedure, up to R62 000 — so she can address both the contour deformity and the nerve damage, and step forward with renewed confidence. To everyone who supports Hot Cares: thank you for making stories like Dee’s possible. Your generosity changes more than appearances — it changes lives.