387.5km to raise funds for Tzaneen’s little warrior

DebtSafe , is sending the duo to ride the distance between Unitas Hospital and Tzaneen as a symbolic reference to Imke’s last journey from hospital to home.

‘We believe that Imke will soon be going home for good, fully healed,’ DebtSafe said.

Imke (3) has stage 4 Neuroblastoma cancer.

This little warrior has fought very hard and brave against a disease that has caused  her more pain than any toddler should ever have to endure. But now her only proven change of survival is immunotheraphy in the US.

Unfortunately, the dollar price tag will only be affordable if ordinary heroes and kind strangers across the country pitch in to help with donations.

The aim of the #rideforimke is to create  a buzz point that will create awareness for Imke’s cause and subsequently drive donations. In short, a four day fundraising event.

Team DebtSafe consists of two riders, Wikus Olivier and Frank Pretorius, who will tackle the journey from Pretoria to Tzaneen.

The trip consist of four stages:

• Start of bike ride: Pretoria: Netcare Unitas Hospital 19 July @ 08:30
• Bela-Bela: DeDekke Restaurant 19 July @ 15:00
• Modimolle: Modimolle Mall 20 July @09:00
• Mokopane: DebtSafe Head Office 21 July @ 08:00
• Polokwane: Savannah Mall 21 July @ 13:00 and
• Finish bike ride in Tzaneen: Tzaneen LifeStyle Mall 22 July @ 12:00

Tzaneen is invited to welcome them when they finish the four day #rideforimke journey at the LifeStyle Centre at 12:00 on July 22.

Everyone is encouraged to wear pink on the day and a personalised letter, written by you, will be collected. It will then be handed over to Imke and the family.

The ride will be promoted on Facebook and Twitter under the #rideforimke and #curlsforimke hashtags, in association with high profile celebrities as well as relevant Facebook communities.

‘We are expecting to post several times a day to keep followers up to date on Team DebtSafe’s journey, funds raised, town participation and special moments,’ Sandy Pretorius, Group Marketing Manager said.

Businesses can show their support for Imke in a number of ways, the primary options being:

Sponsoring a 5km stretch at R1 000.

Buying out an entire stage at R22 000.

Purchase an Employee Participation poster at R200 to post in their office and encourage employees who donated,  to write down their name. That way employees not able to attend the event in town, will also feel as though they are part of the spirit of the Ride of Imke.

‘Depending on how they contribute, businesses will receive the relevant exposure and marketing material from DebtSafe to promote the fact that they are participated in the event.’

For more information on how to get involved, phone Carla Oberholzer on: 082 578 0934 or visit:  https://curlsforimke.weebly.com/ride-for-imke.html

Imke is currently admitted in the WITS Donald Gordon Medical Centre in Parktown, Johannesburg.

‘Thank-you is such a small word. We want to give a word of thanks to everyone who donated money to the Imke fund. Not only do we want to thank Tzaneen, but the whole of South Africa. Tzaneen showed the world how a community can take hands for a worthy cause,’ Darius Geldenhuys, Imkes father told the Herald from WITS Donald Gordan Medical Centre in Parktown were Imke is admitted.

‘Imke is doing well. We are staying positive,’ Darius said.

Watch the video:

The Geldenhuys family had a meeting with their Oncologist, and they are now following a very strict Neuroblastoma High Risk S4 Protocol of Dr Shakeel Modak from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York (MSKCC).

‘After all our research that was done we have found that MSKCC in NY have the highest rate of survivors when it comes to Neuroblastoma, Dr Modak also does not do bone marrow transplants for the last 15 years…(very dangerous process which can cause liver damage, long term damage and a very high risk of getting infections etc). Dr Modak has had a very good success rate with doing the Immunotherapy treatment for Neuroblastoma . After the two chemo cycles that Imke is currently busy with that will be finished in approximately 2 months (end of August) we were told to fly her over to start the required Immunotherapy treatment at MSKCC with Dr Modak in NY,’ Darius said.

Also read: Time is running out for Imke