It has been a trying month for the family of five-month-old Mackenzie Friedman, who is more commonly known on social media as ‘Mighty Mack’.
Mackenzie was born on 5 January this year and appeared to be doing well in her early months. On Mother’s Day, she was taken to hospital with a high temperature and tests revealed that she has acute myeloid leukaemia – a cancer affecting her bone marrow and blood.
She was transferred to the Wits Donald Gordon Hospital in Parktown shortly thereafter where she has undergone chemotherapy, blood and platelet transfusions and four operations to date.
Mackenzie’s mother and Sandton-resident Megan Harrington-Johnson was told that her daughter had between six and eight weeks to find a bone marrow match to save her life.
According to deputy director of the South African Bone Marrow Registry Jane Ward, the chance of finding a suitable match is approximately one in 100 000, with patients more likely to find a match within their own ethnic group.
Ward said at any given time, there were more than 200 patients in South Africa in need of a bone marrow transplant. Only 30 per cent of patients were able to find a match in their own families, with 70 per cent relying on strangers for a second chance in life.
Mackenzie’s grandfather David Harrington-Johnson, said he was thankful for the online support group which rose up almost overnight known as Mack’s Army, who have rallied together to register to become bone marrow donors.
He explained that by next week, the doctors hoped to access a sample of Mackenzie’s bone marrow to assess whether she could find a donor match.
David said, “We are optimistic that we will find a donor for Mackenzie since there are a lot of people within her ethnic group who are registered, particularly overseas.
“Mackenzie has proven to be quite resilient and strong in her procedures. She has a will to persevere and survive. We hope that she will be given a longer window to find a donor match.”
David added that the family was concerned for another young patient named Naledi who had been waiting for a donor for more than a year. He urged community members of all ethnicities to register and increase the pool of donors available for other patients such as Naledi.
Ward called on younger donors in particular to register, as many donors on their system were approaching 60 and were no longer eligible for donation.
People between the ages of 16 and 45 can log onto www.sabmr.co.za, answer a short health questionnaire to assess eligibility and will be required to give a cheek swab either at a depot or at home to be registered.
Locals can also visit DKMS Africa, formerly known as Sunflower Foundation, to do a walk-in swab test in Republic Road, Randburg. Alternatively, residents can register on their website on www.dkms-africa.org
Follow Mackenzie’s progress @MightyMack21 on Facebook or Instagram.
