Here you will find progress updates, press articles and other related news about Stefan, FA and the Fundraising Effort.
Please click on the articles for more details.
Stefan attended a Reach for you slippers event at Wimpy. He was assisting in their campaign to raise funds for Reach for a dream. It was a fun day where he got to meet some celebs...!!!
You can go and have a look at his Facebook group page, we posted the article there. Please go buy your stickers and wear your slippers on 1 August!
It is school holidays and we decided to make our way to Friends of the Rail. They had an open day where you could have a look at some of the steam trains in the yard. The kids had a great time, looking through the different coaches and checking out the steam locomotives.
There will be a train to Cullinan on the 7th of September... I will have to book us some tickets!
Oh, they had some classic cars on show there as well. The one below is one of the family's all time favourites:
Stefan went for his blood test on Thursday. The visit today was to discuss the results and for him to have his checkup. The results of the blood test was not bad, in fact we were very relieved. His platelet and cell counts have stabilised at acceptable levels after the blood transfusion Stefan received at the end of May. At least he does not have to receive another transfusion in the next month!
Stefan's doctor also prescribed a new drug called Panafcort which is a corticosteriod.
We also had some positive news in terms of the donor search. A preliminary search was conducted by the South African Bone Marrow Registry and it looks like there are six possible matches. This is very good news, but we know there is still a lot that needs to get done before a match can be 100% confirmed. Go and have a look at the information page around the search procedure for more information.
For Stefan and us it was a good day, we can enjoy the rest of the weekend..
Another month, another blood test!!
Stefan is a strong boy and not too phased about the needles anymore. These blood tests have become a part of his life and is part of his routine. We hope that the blood transfusion that he received a month ago in conjunction with the steroid he is taking will stabilise the platelet and cell count levels. Stefan will visit Dr Reynders on Saturday to find out about the results and undergo his checkup.
The blood test we did on the 26th of May indicated that Stefan's red blood cell count was very low. Dr Reynders recommended another blood transfusion. At least this is not such a painful procedure compared to the the bone marrow aspiration. It just takes forever. Trienie had Stefan at the oncology ward at 7AM. The blood arrived at about 10AM and the transfusion took about three hours.
Not the best way to spend your day, but Stefan did improve on his I-Pad skills!!