Fund appeals for donors as National Sunflower Day approaches

THE Sunflower Fund partnered by DKMS’s biggest national fundraising and awareness campaign, Sunflower Day, is celebrated on Friday, 13 November.

The Sunflower Fund is a donor recruitment centre and stem cell registry and is part of a global network, dedicated to creating awareness about blood diseases and stem cell donation, and maintaining a registry of committed donors.

The iconic campaign merchandise, the Tube of Hope (TOPE) went on sale at the beginning of October and in addition to the sale of TOPES, The Sunflower Fund is appealing to the public to take further action and register as a potentially life-saving blood stem cell donor.

Individuals between the ages of 18 and 55 years with a consistent body weight of more than 50kgs and a BMI of less than 40 are eligible to register as donors.

ALSO READ: New date for annual Sunflower Day campaign

“All it takes is a non-invasive DNA cheek swab to register as a donor. You can request a swab kit to be sent to your preferred address by registering online and it will be sent to you via our courier service providers at no cost to you. You can then complete the swabbing process from the safety and comfort of your own home and a courier will collect the swabs once the process has been completed. It’s as easy as that!” said regional donor recruitment specialist, Xolani Hlongwane.

Currently, The Sunflower Fund in KZN is fervently working with three children who are each in need of a life-saving blood stem cell transplant. Azile Ngubane, (6), has been diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukaemia, Luthando Sibiya, (7), has aplastic anaemia and Melokuhle Mdluli, (6), has been diagnosed with biphenotypic leukaemia.

By registering as a stem cell donor, you are able to offer the hope of a cure to patients diagnosed with life-threatening blood cancers and disorders.

To find out more about the transplant process, check your eligibility and register as a donor, visit www.sunflowerfund.org/be-a-donor/

For more about the National Sunflower Day campaign contact Xolani Hlongwane 031 266 1148.

Do you want to receive news alerts via Telegram? Send us a message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 060 532 5535.

You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Berea Mail Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts

Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple