Family’s heartbreak turns to choc foundation hope
CHOC thanks the Seecharan family – and all the public who gave unstintingly to save the life of one small child. It may now well save the life of another – or more.
JOBURG – For the Seecharan family May 26, 2000 was a specially blessed day because their beautiful son, Shameer was born.
But their joy was soon marred by the traumatic news that he’d been born with Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome, a very rare blood disorder. The only cure is a bone marrow transplant from a 100 per cent matched donor – and the cost is staggering.
For the next nine years, while searching worldwide for a donor, the family spent a fortune on the treatment necessary to help their small son battle bravely for survival. They also embarked on a drive to raise the money needed for the transplant. In July 2009 they found a perfect match donor – in Australia. And their fund-raising efforts had borne fruit to the extent that they could now pay for the transplant.
But fate can be cruel. Before the bone marrow transplant could take place, Shameer was diagnosed with lymphoma. For the next year, he underwent a series of chemo therapy sessions in an attempt to get him into remission so that he would be able to have the transplant. After his last chemo in July 2010, the little boy, whose immune system was almost fully depleted, picked up pneumonia and on July 10 this courageous child passed on.
Devastated, the Shameer family pondered what to do with the money raised to cure this child. The money, which was donated by the public, was still in Shameer’s trust account and Mr and MrsSeecharan were inspired to honour his memory by donating the money to CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation.
On Friday, November 8, a cheque for R640 000 was handed over to the Foundation – a generous donation that will bring joy and hope to more than one of the children who come to CHOC, which cares for little ones with cancer and life-threatening blood disorders, such as Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome.
