Drive to help little Gracey attracts hundred to Atlantis Mall

Drive to help little Gracey attracts hundred to Atlantis Mall

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On Saturday 26 February 2022, a donor drive was held for Gracelyn Green (Gracey) at Atlantis City Mall. People from far and wide were able to come check whether they qualify to go onto the registry to be a donor to help save Gracey’s life. She was diagnosed with juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia (JMML) – a rare cancer of the blood that affects young children and her only chance of survival is a stem cell transplant. Finding a donor is extremely difficult with the chances being one out of 100 000. The more people who register as donors, the better the chances are of finding a suitable match. According to Nadia Chalkley, the head of donor recruitment at the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR), the drive was a tremendous success, with 1500 people that enquired at the event. “The majority came from Atlantis, but we noticed groups arriving from Mitchell’s Plain, Mamre and West Coast towns, for which we are extremely grateful. We also observed a younger audience than expected which means our youth is ready to step up to the call for new donors,” she said. The organisation received in excess of 250 applications who were fit to go through. “The applications for Gracey and our other patients are ongoing. One drive is not sufficient to determine how many applicants signed up. The majority of our applicants apply nationally and online. If you are between the ages of 16 and 45 and generally healthy, please head to www.sabmr.co.za to sign up. You will be required to fill in a health questionnaire and if successful a buccal swab kit will be dispatched and collected from your home free of charge. The entire sign-up process is free of charge and is non-invasive as you can do the swab in the comfort of your home. All it takes is a few minutes of your time to give someone a second chance at life,” said Chalkley. Should a person be a match for a patient, all medical and related costs for the donor are covered by the SABMR

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