Do your bit to save a life
PARKTOWN - More people are urged to test their bone marrow so they can be put on the South African registry and perhaps help Matthew Martins.
Members of the community came together on 15 November to test for a bone marrow match for 18-year-old Matthew Martins, a pupil of Parktown Boys’ High School battling acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, and for others on the South African bone marrow registry.
“About 26 people came to get tested. Now all we can do is pray and hope that a match is found for Matthew,” said Shelby Zimmerman, public relations and events specialist for the Sunflower Fund in Gauteng.
She added that the statistics show there is a chance of one in 100 000 for a bone marrow match, but urged more people to get tested so they can be placed on the registry. Even if they are not a match for Martins, they could help someone else in need of bone marrow.
Community members wanting to test and be placed on the registry should call the Sunflower Fund’s toll-free number for more information.
Details: Sunflower Fund 0800 1210 82; Matthew Martins info@matthewmartinsfund.co.za
