Fundraising for cancer
Two people in Upington community, Melani van Rhyn and Angelo Pereira, are urgently in need of help. The community of Upington would like to try to help them as much as possible, because the families can no longer bear the burden alone.
Melani’s Story: Melani is a very gentle and beloved teacher at a nursery school in Upington. She struggled for a while to get pregnant and when she finally got the news that she was pregnant, she was out of her skin, little knowing what lay ahead for her.
Not long after her daughter’s birth, Melani was diagnosed with Pelvis cancer. She started chemotherapy in February 2020. In early August, Melani was admitted to a State Hospital with unbearable pain. The family received the terrible news that she had contracted septism and so she had to go to the theater every day to be ‘cleaned’. Her whole abdomen was cut open and so she had to lie with open wounds, they could not close it because she had to go to the theater daily so they could clean it under anesthesia. Her chemotherapy was first discontinued and she became too weak to be able to get chemo. Melani’s condition got worse by the day. Melani urgently needed better care and assistance.
On 24 August 2020 she was admitted to a private hospital in Bloemfontein, but with Covid-19’s regulations, Melani has not been able to see her daughter since she was admitted in Upington in August.
In Bloemfontein in the hospital, the family could pay for her hospitalization every day with funds from people who made donations, praise the Lord!
Melani is doing well at home at the moment, and is getting stronger throughout the day so she can start her chemotherapy again.
Angelo’s Story: Angelo Pereira was diagnosed on 16 July 2019, with Osteo Sarcoma in his right shoulder.
In August he started with chemotherapy to try to shrink as much tumor as possible, and to be able to remove it safely to save his arm. Unfortunately, the chemotherapy did not work. So, the best treatment to save his life was to amputate his arm from above the shoulder.
The operation was done on 15 October 2019, one week before his 15th birthday. He spent 4 weeks in hospital after the operation. At the end of November, he started chemotherapy again as he had to finish his protocol.
On 20 April 2020, Angelo finished his last chemo and could finally go home that following weekend (back to Upington). He was to ring the chemo bell once lockdown was lifted.
But then, in the beginning of June 2020, Angelo went for a check-up where they found another growth. The growth is in the main artery that leads to the heart. They did a biopsy and unfortunately it came back positive for Osteo Sarcoma. On Monday 15 June the Doctors discussed what was the best way forward for him as this is a very rare case for them. There is a possibility that he will need open heart surgery.
Angelo is currently at home mostly in bed as he is very weak with extreme pain.
It has been a very difficult time for Angelo and his family, emotionally and financially. We can all stand together and pray for this family. But I also want to ask from the bottom of my heart for anyone who can to help with donations. Any little bit helps. The specialists and hospital they are in now are not part of their medical network and they have already started receiving bills galore.
The Upington community decided to hold a 4×4 day in the Kalahari, Kalahari Goerapan Lodge, about 103km outside Upington on the route to Kgalagadi Transfrontier park / Askham. There were 8 dunes that had to be climbed and after the dune routes there was a quarter mile at R50 per ride.
After the quarter mile it was the prize giving where all the winners gave their prizes back to auction for extra funds for Melanie and Angelo. There was also an auction of items donated by sponsors.
We were able to get Jan Rhaap to share the day with us and Jan Rhaap also donated half of his CD sales to the cancer funds. We held an open-air show / dance / braai on the salt pan of the Lodge while Jan Rhaap entertained us under the stars as only, he could.
This has been a very successful day and we are really looking forward to tackling it again next year and raising funds for people who need it so badly. Many thanks to everyone who is part of the event, everyone is greatly appreciated.
All funds of the day were donated to Melani and Angelo: Entry fee, participation, quarter mile, CD sales, auction, shirts and hats which were sold from the day and cash guarantees and donations.
The organizing team can proudly say that they have raised R115000 thus far and they are still auctioning off the winners’ prizes.
Any donations would be a great blessing towards helping the families paying medical bills.
Please see the details: Angelo’s bank details – Angelo Pereira, FNB, Current Account, 62825029524. Melani’s bank details – Melani Kanker Fonds, Capitec, Savings Account, 1700082467.
