During the month of May, two powerful days fall side by side on the calendar—Mother’s Day and
International Nurses Day, both commemorated on the 12th this year. And in a place like the rural
Namakwa District, where resources may be thin but hearts are vast, we find a special kind of hero: the nurse who is also a single mother. Pam Apollis, a 41-year-old professional ICU nurse, who starts her day before the sun rises—not in a hospital , but at home, making lunchboxes, brushing tangled hair, and preparing her two young daughters for school.
Once she’s kissed them goodbye, her duty of healing the community begins in the overburdened corridors of a public clinic. “People always say nurses are angels, but they forget we’re also human,” Pam shares, her voice gentle but tired. “When I clock out of a night shift, I go straight into mom mode. Sometimes I’m running on two hours of sleep. But I do it because both roles are my calling.” The health facility where she is employed, like many in Namakwa, struggles with limited staff, few supplies, and high patient volumes. “We don’t have the luxury of saying we’re tired,” she says. “In rural communities, we are the first and often the only line of care.”
Despite the challenges, she still manages to help with homework, attend parent-teacher meetings, and cook dinner. “I miss out on some moments, I won’t lie. I can’t always be there for every school activity. But my girls know I’m doing this for them and for our community.” The emotional toll is not just from the patients she sees; it’s from holding her own household together while carrying the weight of others. “You
don’t just leave your work at the clinic. You carry it in your heart. A child who died in your care, an old man who reminds you of your own dad. Then you come home and still need to smile through bedtime stories. It’s heavy.” It’s this unseen burden, the silent strength of single mothers in scrubs – that
deserves to take the spotlight. Because it’s easy to celebrate nurses with flowers and chocolates. But what they really deserve is our understanding, our appreciation, and better working conditions. Let’s also honour the men in scrubs!
While much of the nursing profession is female-dominated, it’s vital that we also acknowledge the dedicated male nurses who often work in the same conditions, shoulder the same emotional weight, and show up with the same compassion and care. Like Jacquen Van Rooi, a nurse from Concordia, who
says, “We’re all carers, regardless of gender. I work alongside incredible women, some single mothers who still give their all despite the odds. I learn from them every day.” Male nurses face their own societal pressures and stereotypes, yet many are redefining what it means to be both strong and nurturing.
They, too, are a vital part of our healthcare fabric.
In districts like Namaqua, where nurses double as emergency responders, therapists, and community leaders, the workload is immense. Many operate in facilities with limited electricity, outdated equipment, and scarce medical supplies. And still, they show up. It’s time we show up for them.
Not just on 12 May, but every day. To the single mothers pulling double shifts, to the male nurses breaking barriers, and to the carers who nurse the nation while nursing their own wounds—we see you, we honour you, and we thank you.
Behind every injection, every gentle hand, and every midnight call is a beating heart full of hope—and often, a home that depends on them too.
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