The Childhood Cancer Foundation (CHOC) in Illovo has received over R60 000 from the Netcells Families of Hope Programme.
Families of Hope is a cord blood donor programme which aims to provide children from disadvantaged families with stem cell transplants. Stem cell transplants can help treat diseases such as leukaemia, sickle-cell disease and anaemia.
Netcells has been working with CHOC since 2012 and the project has helped raise hundreds of thousands of rands for the non-profit organisation.
There is a one in four chance that biological siblings will be a genetic match and therefore a stem cell transplant could be used to treat a sibling. If a disadvantaged child requires a bone marrow stem cell transplant and their mother is pregnant and expecting a full biological sibling, Next Biosciences will facilitate the collection of the umbilical cord blood at the time of delivery. It will then be transported to a laboratory to be processed, tested and stored.
Netcells is Next Bioscience’s umbilical cord stem cell banking service, giving expectant parents the opportunity to collect their baby’s umbilical cord, blood and tissue stem cells at birth and cryogenically freeze them for potential future medical use.
Gynaecologists who do cord blood collections for Next Biosciences are also given the opportunity to donate their procedural fees to the programme.
Ally d’Hotman, the marketing assistant at Netcells said that they will be donating R67 368 to CHOC in aid of their brave work.
“The goals of the Netcells Families of Hope programme are closely aligned with CHOC’s ‘Keeping more than Hope Alive’. With this in heart, aside from working closely with the cancer foundation, Netcells donates any unutilised funds from the Families of Hope programme to CHOC.”
The money donated to CHOC will be used to contribute to the well-being of children with cancer and life-threatening blood disorders as well as their families. This money will be going to various CHOC programmes, not one specific item.
Taryn Seegers, a communications coordinator for CHOC said that they offer comprehensive support to improve the wellbeing and quality of care to children with cancer. “CHOC plays a leading advocacy role through cancer awareness campaigns and lobbying. We also train and educate healthcare professional, home-based care workers, and traditional practitioners on the early warning signs of childhood cancer to promote early detection,” said Seegers.
Details: CHOC 086 111 3500.
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