You know those heart-wrenching Grey’s Anatomy-type episodes where some little girl needs a bone marrow transplant for a fighting chance to beat leukemia and then, just when you’re doing the ugly cry in your pajamas with a tub of ice-cream, they find a match? Someone living across the country is a compatible donor and saves the day all because they have the same tissue type. More tears are shed, The Fray plays in the background, credits roll and the world feels right again.While real life doesn’t always work out this well, The Sunflower Fund is an organisation doing their darndest to give South Africans suffering from life threatening blood disorders the same happy ending.
You’ve probably seen the ads, perhaps even bought a bandana but do you know what it means to be a bone marrow donor? I didn’t either. Not until I squeezed myself into my sister’s beautiful black ball gown and headed to the Sandton Sun for The Sunflower Fund’s annual charity ball.
Expecting something out of Gossip Girl, I was slightly disappointed to see Jeremy Mansfields where Chace Crawfords should be. I was however glad to see the big man looking healthy and happy with his slinky wife Jacqui by his side. (He is reportedly in remission from Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia after being diagnosed in 2009).
After champagne and photos, I found myself at the cool table with our Health & Beauty ed Pippa, her man Paul, Fuzz our photographer and Tameron and Jared Carneson. Jared is The Sunflower Fund’s Gauteng PR manager and the reason we were there. Shortly after his gracious thank you speech and starters, tape rolled and we all turned to watch the big screens on either side of the stage. There’s nothing like Mariah Carey’s Hero set to images of survivors and some who weren’t as lucky to get a stiff audience of black ties and ruffles all chocked up.
I can’t reach Mariah’s high notes, and I’m not one for sermons or sentiment so here are the facts:
• The South African Bone Marrow Registry receives no government funding.
• It costs R1000 to tissue type each donor’s blood sample.
• Even though they have a respectable 63 000 donors, they are in desperate need of more and those from all ethnic backgrounds.
• Although sufferers of leukemia and other blood disorders may be able to find a bone marrow/stem cell match in a sibling, 75% of patients will not.
I could go on, but I won’t. All it takes is a phone call and two teaspoons of your blood to be a registered donor. There are thousands of reasons to do it and only a few not to (being scared of needles does not count).
A few reasons to do it:
• What if it was you who needed the match?
• What if someone you love needed the match?
• You could be someone’s super hero.
Okay so sentiment crept in ever so slightly. Forgive me.
To learn more about The Sunflower Fund and how to help, go to Sunflowerfund.org.za
To become a donor, call 0800 12 10 82
