Remembering Matthew Vorster Martins
PARKTOWN – Matthew Martins has lost the three year long battle against acute lympho-blastic leukaemia.
Matthew Jose Vorster Martins (18), a Parktown Boys’ High School pupil, lost his three-year battle against acute lymphoblastic leukaemia on the morning of 25 November. The Rosebank Killarney Gazette had previously reported that he was in dire need of a bone marrow match in September.
His funeral will take place at the school in the main hall on 30 November at 11am.
According to Parktown Boys’ headmaster Derek Bradley, a hero should have determination, courage, perseverance, patience, focus, selflessness, and most importantly, loyalty. “Matthew had all of these virtues and thus for us, he was a true hero,” he said.
“I’ll venture to say that I have never met such a well-balanced young man in my life,” said Eurike Fourie, a teacher of the school. She added that Matthew was good with people, sport and academics.
“He will be deeply missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and the community of Parktown Boys’ High School. Thank you to everyone who supported Matthew during this difficult time and the Sunflower Fund. He was an exceptional young man who fought a brave fight. He had an extraordinary capacity for giving his all, even in the face of adversity. Let us celebrate his life and remember his smile. Rest in peace,” said Lee-ann Louverdis of the Parktown North Residents’ Association, who had created a website to raise awareness about Matthew’s cancer and to urge people to get tested to check if they are a bone marrow match.
The Sunflower Fund sent their sincere condolences to Matthew’s family and friends in their time of deep loss and mourning. “It is a tragic and heartbreaking reality that all too often we lose our brave fighters. Having met and worked with Matthew, we honour him and others like him and persevere with our mission to truly make a difference” said the fund’s, Shelby Zimmerman.
She urged healthy South Africans between the ages of 18 and 45 to join the South African Bone Marrow Registry and offer some hope to these patients. With every donor, the Sunflower Fund recruits, with every rand of fundraising, and with every awareness drive, they give the chance of life to someone’s child, someone’s parent, someone’s friend.
The Sunflower Fund, a national non-profit organisation in South Africa, is dedicated to creating awareness, educating the public and handling the registration process for people to join the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR). The Sunflower Fund pays for the test fees for those joining the SABMR.
Details: Parktown Boys’ High School 011 642 4531/2.
Follow Mathew’s journey by clicking here or click on older articles about Mathew below:
Parktown teen battles cancer – again
Watch: Video taken of a shavathon for Matthew Martins:
