In July, Callum von Delft, a clever, imaginative, inventive, fun-loving nine-year-old boy was diagnosed with a rare deadly disease that his parents had never heard of before, called aplastic anaemia.
To stay alive, Callum has to rely on weekly blood transfusions until he is able to have stem cell transplant surgery later this year.
To assist the family with Callum’s medical expenses, Stirling Primary School parents have organised a fundraising and awareness day that will be held at the school’s Gleaneagles field on Saturday September 24, from 9am to 1pm.
South African National Blood Services (SANBS) staff will be in attendance to receive blood donations and educate people about stem cell/ bone marrow donation registration.
People will also have the opportunity to register as a stem cell/ bone marrow donor.
Registration is free and only requires a simple mouth swab.
Inexplicably, Callum’s bone marrow stopped producing cells needed to protect his body, to transfer oxygen and fight off infection, and doctors say the only chance for recovery is bone marrow transplant surgery.
Usually, patients with this condition spend years waiting for a suitable donor but Callum’s younger brother is a 100% match.
The wait is even longer and is sometimes never resolved for patients of colour, whose donor match is based on tissue type characteristics and not blood type.
There is a critical shortage of donors of colour and black, coloured, Indian and Asian patients have only a 19% chance of finding a donor.
The Von Delfts have relocated to Cape Town to prepare for Callum’s transplant surgery.
The procedure is gruelling and when completed will require strong chemotherapy, hospitalisation for two to four months, and for the first 30 days after the surgery, Callum and his mother have to stay in an isolated, sterile environment to protect his vulnerable immune system from exposure to infection.
Callum will be isolated from family and friends until he is able to recover.
This comes on top of already having to be isolated since his diagnosis, with his parents having had to take him out of Stirling Primary.
For the last few months, Callum has been in and out of hospital, unable to do any physical activity that could cause bruising, bleeding or exhaustion. Callum’s mother, Jo-anne von Delft said: “Callum and his siblings have had to be home-schooled.
“We have had to be isolated and prepare meals in particular ways.
“Having to spend time at the hospital away from our other two children is tough. We have always done everything together and our kids aren’t used to being apart from us.”
Asked how Callum was coping, his mom said: “I have seen Callum have to face his fears, grow and overcome them more and more every time.
“He has more empathy and thinks of the other children in the hospital.”
Friends of the Von Delfts at Stirling Primary, who are organising the fundraising and awareness day, said “in this community, nobody fights alone”.
There will also be a fun walk on the day, which will cost R20 to enter, along with entertainment for the children, food and drinks on sale, R10 raffle tickets and prizes, prizes for the best dressed superhero’s and a cut and colour event for those who would like to colour or shave their hair in solidarity with Callum, who has to have chemotherapy.
The event is being supported by DKMS, an international bone marrow donor NPO, the SANBS and CHOC.
For more information, contact Liesel Kruger on 072-105- 1566 or Facebook: Callum’s Fight.
