In 1997 Tina Botha’s teenage son, Chris Corlett, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. His only chance of survival was a bone marrow stem cell transplant. At the time The South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) had less than 1000 donors. During this time, in 1999, The Sunflower Fund was formed in support of the SABMR and was inspired by Chris Corlett and Darren Serebro’s heroic struggle against leukaemia. Their aim was to increase the number of donors on the SABMR. They hoped to give Chris and other patients a chance at finding a suitable bone marrow stem cell donor.
Their work paid off and a donor was found in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Chris underwent his second transplant in September 1999 and life seemed to go back to normal. She operated effectively as a single parent and focused all her energies on getting Chris through this ordeal and building the SABMR.
Tragically, Chris relapsed again in April 2000 and underwent a final bone marrow transplant in August 2000. This was all too much and Chris finally passed away on 10 September 2000. Just before Chris died he painted the “Sunflowers of Hope” which became the inspiration for the naming of The Sunflower Fund.
Tina Botha is now the CEO of The Sunflower Fund. Over the past eight years the Fund has managed to raise millions of Rands for the purposes of growing the registry. The Sunflower Fund has grown the SABMR from having less then 1000 donors to having over 62 000 registered donors. Tina’s experience in nursing, human genetics, PR and Marketing and as a parent has given her the skills and determination to lead this dynamic organisation effectively.
Today The Sunflower Fund continues to educate and recruit a viable source of well informed potential bone marrow stem cell donors who are ethnically diverse, in an effort to save the lives of those needing a transplant when suffering from life-threatening blood disorders. The ideal would be to expand the registry to 100 000 donors representative of all ethnic backgrounds to give South Africans a fighting chance in beating blood diseases such as leukaemia, marrow failure and aplasia.
“We still have a long way to go,” says Tina, who spends her days knocking on the doors of funders and running educational and awareness campaigns to attract more donors. “I hope we continue to make a difference so that others do not have to lose their loved ones, as I lost my beloved Chris,” she says.
Tina, we salute you!
You may be someone’s only chance so why not give a little to save a life? For more information on joining the South African Bone Marrow Registry or if you have any other queries regarding The Sunflower Fund or donating to the work that they do call toll free: 0800 12 10 82 or visit www.sunflowerfund.org.za.
source: http://www.inspiringwomen.co.za
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