Girl Guides host vital spring tea fundraiser

A SPRING tea, in aid of the Organ Donor Foundation, was recently organised by the 1st Hillcrest Girl Guides as part of its community outreach.

“As Girl Guide Chief Challenge candidates, we wanted to design our community project to be an exciting part of raising funds for the Organ Donor Foundation in the Hillcrest community,” said 1st Hillcrest Girl Guide, Erin Bender.

“People are dying every day due to multiple organ failure. We need to have knowledge about organ donation, which can save lives,” added fellow guider, Lizzi Mare.

This well supported cause was attended by more than 100 people at the 1st Hillcrest Scout and Guide hall.

The guest speaker was local Hillcrest resident, Tina Beckbessinger, who was born with a congenital heart disease and pulmonary hypertension. Tina was unable to lead a normal life and any activity or exertion left her exhausted and gasping for air. It was when her body rejected a pace maker and she collapsed when she was still a learner at Hillcrest High School, that she was forced to be home-schooled for her last two academic years.

It took Tina two and a half years until she was found a donor heart and lung that matched her body. “My angel donor was a 17-year-old girl and, without her donation, I wouldn`t be standing here this morning,” said Tina. “Before my organ transfer, my life was a daily struggle and since then I have gone on to do the Cape Town Cycle Tour and to lead an active life.” Tina is also the longest living person in South Africa to have had this operation. This is one of many amazing stories of how an organ donation can help save a life.

Tina was grateful to the 1st Hillcrest Girl Guides for raising awareness on organ donations and appealed to all to consider being an organ donor.