The Eden Village Prep community came out in full force last Friday to donate blood and raise awareness for former pupil Ellie-Rae Reece (11).

Ellie-Rae was diagnosed with the rare autoimmune condition PANS/PANDAS in April (Courier, May 8, Rare illness turns young life upside down), leading to costly treatment. She was also forced to leave Eden Village as her condition made it impossible to keep up with the demands of full-time in-person schooling.

More than 30 people donated blood during the drive, which was organised by Ellie-Rae’s mother, Bianca Reece-Martini, and hosted by the school in conjunction with the South African National Blood Service (SANBS). Ellie-Rae is currently receiving infusions of Polygam, an immunoglobulin treatment made from blood plasma.

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“A typical blood donation might be able to save three lives, but it takes about 1000 donations to produce a single bag of Polygam, which is why it costs so much – around R75 000 per treatment,” said Reece-Martini.

“We weren’t trying to get the Polygam from the donors on Friday, but rather trying to raise awareness of how important donating blood can be.”

Ellie-Rae received her first infusion last week and will need five more at six- to eight-week intervals. It is still unclear whether medical aid will cover the cost and the family continues to raise funds to ensure treatment is not delayed.

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“We wouldn’t have been able to do this without the support of the community, and we have raised enough to cover the first three treatments already,” she said.

Those wishing to support Ellie-Rae can find donation links and treatment updates on her Instagram page,
@ellie_rae_on_the_rise. The family’s next fundraiser is a golf day in October, and sponsorship opportunities are available.

Eden Village Prep principal Jacky Wolverson said Friday’s event was an example of what makes the school community special.

“I want to say a huge thank you to SANBS and everyone in our community who came out to donate blood in support of Ellie-Rae. It is moments like these that show the true heart and unity of our school family,” she said.