Professor Goussard's marathon mission to save children's lives

Stellenbosch University professor Pierre Goussard will line up at the start of one of the world’s most challenging trail runs, the Gornergrat Zermatt Marathon in Switzerland, to raise money to buy medical equipment for Tygerberg Hospital.

He will take on the 45km route on Saturday, July 5, which climbs relentlessly upward through the Swiss Alps, finishing at nearly 2 600m altitude on Riffelberg.

For most runners, completing this gruelling mountain marathon would be an achievement enough. For Professor Goussard, it’s just another step in a much larger mission: saving children’s lives.

As Head of Clinical Unit for Paediatric Pulmonology and PICU at Tygerberg Hospital and Stellenbosch University, Professor Goussard sees firsthand the critical need for advanced medical equipment.

Every day, his team treats some of South Africa’s most vulnerable patients – babies and children with complicated respiratory conditions, tuberculosis, HIV-related complications, and life-threatening pneumonia.

Many of these young patients come from across Southern Africa, as Tygerberg Hospital serves as a referral centre for the region’s most complex cases. His department desperately needs an Olympus bronchoscope – a sophisticated instrument that allows doctors to investigate the airways of critically ill infants and children.

Since launching his Given Gain campaign in 2023, Professor Goussard has clocked approximately 11 000km in training and races, funding his participation in marathons entirely from his own pocket.

He trains daily, with long weekend runs that often include 50km training sessions. His racing CV reads like a global tour of endurance: over 50 marathons including Paris (four times), Berlin (twice), London, Rome (three times), and Prague, plus ultra-marathons like the Stoos Trail in Switzerland.

“It has been difficult to encourage people to donate, especially with so many other campaigns competing for attention,” Professor Goussard admits.

Despite the challenges of fundraising in a crowded field, he has raised R46 760 to date – roughly 12% of his target. The Stoos-Trail organisers in Switzerland, where he has competed twice, have provided generous support. Achieving his goal would have a transformative impact by assisting children in receiving much-needed medical care in the department. 

Professor Goussard’s team performs about 350 bronchoscopy procedures annually at Tygerberg Hospital, with about a third related to tuberculosis cases in both HIV-positive and negative patients, and 25% involving interventional procedures.

In a resource-limited setting where infectious diseases like HIV and TB are prevalent, diagnosing conditions in children remains challenging, he said.

“Diagnosing tuberculosis in children is still difficult, and it can overlap with other infectious diseases. Foreign body inhalation is another critical area – these cases often present late with high complication rates, making management extremely difficult without proper equipment," he said.

Professor Goussard said a new bronchoscope would enable advanced techniques such as endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), radial EBUS, and cryotherapy, which would dramatically enhance both diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities. Beyond immediate patient care, the equipment would reduce the need for referrals to higher-care wards, lower healthcare costs, and strengthen training programmes for junior staff and doctors from across Africa.

This educational aspect is particularly close to Professor Goussard’s heart. “We teach many South African doctors, as well as those from other African countries, who are then able to assist their communities on their return home,” he said.

As chair of Tygerberg Hospital Children’s Trust, Professor Goussard understands that expensive medical equipment for critically ill children often falls outside standard budgets. His running campaign represents more than athletic achievement; it’s a creative solution to a pressing healthcare need, powered by personal determination and community support.

The Gornergrat Zermatt Marathon will mark Professor Goussard’s second attempt at this particular Swiss challenge, having completed it previously in 2022. But win or lose against the mountain, his larger race continues. Every kilometre he runs brings him closer to a goal that could transform countless young lives.

For those inspired by his mission, donations can be made through the Given Gain platform. Link to donate: https://www.givengain.com/ap/pierre-goussard-raising-funds-for-stellenbosch-university-south-africa/#timeline