For many people, the end of year holiday period has over the years become a time of reflection, family, building memories and most of all giving.
Whilst for the most part one can put the pause button on duties and responsibilities for the freedom and flexibility of holidays, there is for some families the reality of a struggle for which time does not stand still.
Blood diseases like leukaemia, aplastic anaemia, sickle cell disease and myeloma to name but a few, can affect you at any time and at any age. Many patients diagnosed with blood diseases will find themselves in need of a life-saving blood stem cell or bone marrow transplant from a matching donor. The chances of a sibling or family member match is only 25%. Most patients hope is dependent on that 75% chance of finding an unrelated matching donor.
Two of the critical challenges faced by registries in the hopes of donor/patient matching are: funding to cover the cost of the DNA tissue-typing test required to register donors and secondly, the response from people of all ethnicities to voluntarily register as blood stem cell donors.
Andrew Patterson – an ordinary Capetonian – decided this year that he wants to make a difference in the lives of others. He has been climbing Table Mountain every day since the start of this year to raise funds for The Sunflower Fund and two other charities he supports. To date, he has donated R30 000 to the fund, which resulted in 10 new donors being recruited in May this year.
Andrew has recently raised another R60 000 that can fund the recruitment of 20 more donors.
The Sunflower Fund invites you to give in a different way. There are patients across the country in need of a transplant that haven’t yet been able to find a donor. By registering as a blood stem cell donor, you can give the hope of cure. You could save a life.
“If you are between 18 and 45 years of age, weigh more than 50kgs, have a BMI of less than 40 and are willing to help anyone for whom you may be a match, we would like to appeal to you to become a donor,” say Kim Webster, Head of Communications at The Sunflower Fund.
“The process to register takes less than 10 minutes and involves two test-tubes of blood being drawn”, Webster continued.
The blood samples are sent away for a DNA tissue-typing test and the results are captured on the registry. There is no cost to register and no cost if you are a match for a patient and are called upon to donate.
“You can only ever donate once in your life, so you will stay on the registry until you’ve been a match for a patient or until the age of 60, whichever comes first”, Webster added.
“We encourage all parents, friends and families of our members to consider registering as donors”, says Strandfontein AFC Junior Club chairperson Natasha Hendricks.
“We can all do something simple and selfless to save a life, and why wouldn’t we, that is what community is all about”, Hendricks added.
All costs are covered with the funds generously donated by Andrew Patterson.
If you wish to support The Sunflower Fund and give a cash donation you can SMS the word ‘Sunflower’ to 40555 to make a R30 donation or look for the other giving options on their website.
For more information visit www.sunflowerfund.org.za or call 0800 12 10 82.
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