Cancer survivor becomes a hero to other patients

HAVING survived cancer herself, Igazi Foundation volunteer Zodwa Dube is championing the “Giving Life” initiative as part of Project Sparkle’s Mandela Day campaign this year, Sparkle for Health. “Since I started volunteering to improve health services in the province, I am filled with a passion and focus that I have never had before. There is no amount of money that can buy this,” she said. Dube became involved with the Igazi Foundation, an NGO working and advocating for the improvement of services for patients with leukemia and other blood diseases in the Eastern Cape. During the Sparkle for Health campaign Dube will run educational sessions and outreach programmes to get more black donors to sign up for the bone marrow registry. “Let’s do some maths here,” Dube said, “There are about 4 000 black donors out of a total of 68 000 donors on the SA Bone Marrow registry. The chances of finding an unrelated black donor are 1 to 100 000 or 1 to 500 000 if you are looking across all races. “What this means in effect is that for a black person to need bone marrow is a death sentence. The chances of finding a suitable donor for them is so small that they will die.” Project Sparkle, a Nelson Mandela Bay community group, has invited every single person in the Bay to join forces with them on Mandela Day – July 18 – to help improve public health services. This follows Project Sparkle’s restoration of outpatient clinics at Provincial Hospital. “For now we are looking for ‘champions’ for the other 12 outreach programmes we will run during our Sparkle on Mandela Day campaign,” Project Sparkle’s Trevor Jennings said. “We are looking for people who are passionate and knowledgeable about the specific needs of patients and healthcare workers to help us plan and coordi- nate. The programmes are: • Encouraging and spoiling staff in the public health sector through letters of thanks and small gifts; • Getting involved with staff, patients and projects at one of the 54 clinics in Nelson Mandela Bay; • Assisting with health education programmes at schools; • Donating first aid kits to schools; • Assisting with the health needs of the elderly at old age homes; • Assisting NGOs in the health sector needs; • Assisting with the health needs of children in children’s homes; • Visiting the sick in hospital; • Donating baby clothes and nappies for newborns; • A special call to health professionals to donate their time and get involved in special education projects about the public health system and how it works; and • Using your hour to sign up as a volunteer for organisations that work in the public health systems.

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