Kom ons brei die SA Beenmurgregister uit!
Help us grow the SA Bone Marrow Registry!
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Om beenmurg te skenk is 'n eenvoudige proses. Beenmurg word nie van die donor se beenmurg geneem nie en word ook nie in die hospitaal gedoen nie.  Die stamselle word eenvoudig gefilter uit die donor se bloed en die res van die bloed komponente word terug gesirkuleer na die liggaam.

Kom ons brei die SA Beenmurgregister uit!

Ons wil graag almal bedank wat ons oor die afgelope maande en jare op verskillende maniere bygestaan het tydens Simon se siekte. Ons is baie hartseer dat Simon se intensiewe behandeling nie daarin kon slaag om die kanker blywend te vernietig nie, maar ons wil nogtans weer sê dat ons julle liefde, gebede en praktiese hulp terdeë waardeer. Ons is bitter hartseer, maar nie sonder troos nie – want ons weet dat Simon gedoop is en aan Jesus Christus behoort.

Ons wil ook ons dank uitspreek teenoor die wonderlike dokters wat Simon behandel het, veral prof Mariana Kruger en dr Adam Nosworthy. Toe die kanker na die stamseloorplanting terugkeer, het ons by verskeie dokters op verskillende plekke in die wêreld om raad aangeklop, en hulle het almal saamgestem dat Simon die beste moontlike behandeling gekry het. Ons is verder eindeloos dankbaar teenoor ’n wonderlike, anonieme Franse skenker wat vir Simon stamselle geskenk het, en ook later gereed was om vir hom witbloedselle te skenk. Die stamseloorplanting was ’n reusesukses, en daardie nuwe Franse selle veg nog steeds in sy liggaam voort, al is dit nou teen ’n groeiende oormag.

Ons enigste berou is dat die stamseloorplanting nie vroeër kon plaasvind nie. Indien ons ’n skenker in Suid-Afrika kon vind, sou die oorplanting heel waarskynlik kon plaasvind voordat Simon se kanker in Maart onder behandeling teruggekeer het. In daardie geval was daar ’n baie goeie kans gehad dat Simon se lewe gered kon word.

As familie het ons daarom net een versoek: dat elkeen wat kans sien om op hierdie manier iemand (enigiemand!) se lewe te red, by die SA Beenmurgregister sal aansluit. Daar is veral 3 belangrike voorwaardes:

• Iemand wat by die SA Beenmurgregister aansluit, moet bereid wees om vir enigiemand as skenker op te tree.
• Slegs mense tussen die ouderdom van 18 en 50 jaar kan by die SA Beenmurgregister aansluit.
• Hoewel die SABMR en die Sunflower Fund egter die koste subsidieer, kos dit tans R250 om die eerste vlak toetse te doen.

Nou het ’n vriend van ons genader met die inisiatief om 80 persone in Pietersburg (Polokwane) die geleentheid te gee om gratis by die SA Beenmurgregister aan te sluit (sy maatskappy sal die koste daarvan dra). Ons sou uiteraard dankbaar wees indien meer mense met ons wil kontak maak om op dieselfde manier die kostes te help dek van mense wat graag by die SA Beenmurgregister wil aansluit, maar nie kan bekostig om byvoorbeeld die toetse op hulle hele gesin te betaal nie.

Mense wat by die SA Beenmurgregister wil aansluit, kan met enige tak van die SA Nasionale Bloeddiens (SANBD) skakel. Indien die personeel daar onseker is oor die proses, kan hulle mnr Derrick Nelson by die SANBD se hoofkantoor in Constantia Kloof kontak by 011 761-9227.

Soos met orgaanskenkings is stamseloorplantings ’n wonderlike manier waarop duisende mense se lewens in die toekoms gered kan word. Die verskil is dat ’n mens met ’n stamseloorplanting nie jou lewe hoef te verloor voordat jy iemand anders se lewe kan red nie. Al kon ons gesin dus nie vir Simon skenkers wees nie, het ons by die SA Beenmurgregister aangesluit, en sal dit vir ons ’n groot voorreg wees om dalk in die toekoms iemand anders se lewe te red.

Meer inligting oor leukemie, stamseloorplantings en die proses wat daarmee verband hou kan op Simon se webblad gekry word (http://www.simonvanwyk.co.za/leukemie.html), of op die webblaaie van die SA Beenmurgregister (http://www.sabmr.co.za) of die Sunflower Fund (http://www.sunflowerfund.org.za).

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We would like to thank everyone who has supported us in many different ways over the past months and years during Simon’s illness. We are very sad that the intensive treatment Simon received has not been successful in curing him of cancer, but we would like to reiterate that we sincerely appreciate your love, prayers and practical support. We are very sad, but not without comfort – because we know that Simon was baptised and belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ.

We would similiarly like to express our heartfelt thanks to the wonderful doctors and nurses who have looked after Simon, and especially prof Mariana Kruger and dr Adam Nosworthy. When the cancer returned after the stem cell transplant, we have approached a number of doctors in various places all over the world, and they have all agreed that Simon has received the best possible treatment. We are eternally grateful to a wonderful anonymous French donor who has donated stem cells for Simon, and who was also prepared later to donate white blood cells. The stem cell transplant was a major success, and those French cells are still fighting in Simon’s body at this very moment, even if it has turned into an uphill battle.

Our only regret is that the stem cell transplant could not have been performed earlier. If we had found a donor in South Africa the transplant could have been performed before the return of the leukemia whilst still under treatment in March. In that case we would have had a very good chance that Simon’s life could have been saved.

Our family therefore have only one request: that everyone who is prepared to save someone’s life in this way, should join the SA Bone Marrow Registry. There are 3 very important conditions, though:

•       Someone who joins the SA Bone Marrow Registry should be prepared to act as a donor for any matching recipient.

•       Only people between the ages of 18 and 50 can join the SA Bone Marrow Registry.

•       Although the SA Bone Marrow Registry and the Sunflower Fund subsidise the cost, it currently costs R250 to have the first level of tests performed.

In view of the cost individuals have to incur in joining the SA Bone Marrow Registry we have been approached by a friend who has taken the initiative to give 80 people in Pietersburg (Polokwane) the opportunity of joining the SA Bone Marrow Registry free of charge. His company will bear the cost on their behalf. We would naturally be very grateful if more people or companies would contact us to do the same for individuals who cannot afford to bear the costs (e.g. to have their entire family tested).

People who would like to join the SA Bone Marrow Registry can contact any branch of the SA National Blood Service (SANBS). If the staff of the local SANBS are uncertain about the procedure to be followed, they can contact mr Derrick Nelson at the SANBS head office in Constantia Kloof at 011 761 9227.

As is the case with organ donations, a stem cell transplant is a wonderful way in which thousands of lives could be saved in future. The big difference is that one does not have to lose your life before you can same someone else’s life. As a family, therefore, we could not be donors for Simon, but we have joined the SA Bone Marrow Registry, and it would be a fantastic provilege for us to be in a position to save someone else’s life in future.

More information about leukemia, stem cell transplants and the process involved can be found on Simon’s website (http://www.simonvanwyk.co.za/leukemie.html), or on the websites of the SA Bone Marrow Registry (http://www.sabmr.co.za) or the Sunflower Fund (http://www.sunflowerfund.org.za).