Dale Benson (39), an educator from Cape Town, South Africa, who had been teaching English in Vietnam, arrived safely home on the 15th of July after receiving the devastating news that he is dying of stage 4 cancer.
Time was of the essence
After experiencing severe stomach pains for a couple weeks, Dale was rushed to hospital on Friday, 2 July 2021 for an emergency operation, when doctors found cancer in the whole of his abdominal area.
Without medical aid, Dale, who was in ‘bad shape and in a lot of pain’, was being treated at the University hospital in Hanoi. The doctors had estimated that he had about one month to live without chemotherapy
The race to get Dale home
As Dale’s mother, Inge Bosman, was unable to fly to Vietnam, due to their borders being closed because of the pandemic, the family made arrangements to have Dale airlifted out of the country with a medical plane, which estimated to cost an astronomical amount.
Dale in high spirits as he arrivals home in South Africa.
“It’s difficult to express the exact emotions I am feeling in words, to be able to thank each person for their generosity towards me. Even though we are experiencing a global pandemic and every penny counts these days, all of you without hesitation came forward to donate to my cause. I will never be able to thank you enough. I truly hope one day in whatever life it may be that I can be there for you. I am going to fight this disease with every piece of strength I have. Warrior mode activated. Love you all to the moon and back.” _ says Dale.
To assist the family with funds to cover the cost of the trip, and get Dale the best possible medical care on South African soil, a friend of the family, Karen Baschiera, launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy to appeal to the public for support.
Since the launch of the campaign on 6 July 2021, over R209 000 has been raised through generous contributions from 459 donors.
“I am overwhelmed by the financial and emotional support from each and every person that commented..Has put me in a such a loved space” – says Inge.
Support Dale’s cause by donating to his BackaBuddy campaign here:
Manning up to cancer: A Message from Dale (17 FEB 2022)
“I am currently busy with my 8th round of chemo. At the end of this month, I will be given a 3-month break from it and continue again in May. The first scan I had a few months ago showed that the chemo was able to dry up the ascites fluid which was causing so many problems for me. I was hardly able to eat and my health was declining rapidly. I was admitted to hospice for them to monitor me. After spending 3 days there I managed to somehow get well enough to be discharged. It was then my chemo journey started and after a month or 2, I was feeling so much better.
The chemo of course has its own side effects but staying positive and managing the effects makes it tolerable. I have changed my diet and unfortunately had to cut out things (sugar) which is not easy but definitely helping with my success of beating this illness. So it’s been around 8 months and today. I am feeling strong”, says Dale.
Thank you to the 459 incredible donors who supported Inge in bringing her son, Dale, Home From Vietnam
I wake up each day grateful to start a new day with a smile on my face and a warrior spirit in my heart. Every day I also think of all the wonderful humans that helped me get to where I am today. I am going to continue fighting whilst living the best life I can live. My next scan will be in a few months and I will then be able to see how the treatment is going. Will update you all again then. ❤️ – says Dale
Create a crowdfunding campaign
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far raised over R260 Million.
In September 2021, Jenna-Mae van der Vyver, an ‘exceptionally smart and compassionate’ 2-year-old girl from Krugersdorp, Johannesburg, was diagnosed with Diabetes Type 1, an auto-immune condition, which typically appears during adolescence.
As Type 1 diabetes is not lifestyle or diet-related, being insulin-dependent will be a lifelong struggle for Jenna-Mae.
While in the ‘honeymoon phase’ as doctors coin it, Jenna-Mae’s insulin levels are erratic and hard to predict, resulting in many sleepless nights for her parents, Cherise (38) and Johan (47), who are worried that one day she might not make it through the night.
“Nothing is as scary as sleeping at night, hoping & praying she won’t go low, fall into a coma, and you won’t hear your alarm for her nightly midnight, 2 am and 4 am checks. Or, when you drive back from the shops (just 5 minutes) and you reach home to an unresponsive, unreactive child in the back seat… even though you checked her insulin levels 5 minutes ago… you shake her, scream at her to wake up and try to shove something sugary in her mouth without choking her… not cool mense, not cool.” – says Cherise
Jenna-Mae, with her mom Cherise and dad Johan.
Jenna-Mae handles her condition with understanding and bravery, taking pokes and pricks and injections with a determined attitude, and generally without complaint, according to her mum.
“When her insulin levels are high she is overly busy and unfocused but understands that she is unable to eat sugar or carbs as it will make her feel sick. When she is low she can be very tearful, emotional, tired, and clingy, but she will often tell us to grab her a Super C to bring her levels up” says Cherise
Jenna-Mae playing dress-up / Cherise Brady Photography
Found: A dog to join the pack
As Jenna-Mae is so little, and can’t always communicate to her parents how she is feeling, her parents found the perfect solution, in the form of a Diabetic Alert Dog.
Incredibly, Diabetic Alert Dogs can detect high or low insulin levels, using their keen sense of smell, up to 20 minutes before devices can.
To purchase a ‘paramedic pup’ and cover his/her food and medical needs over the next 12 months while in training, the van der Vyver family launched a crowdfunding campaign on Backabuddy, which exceeded its target by reaching over R65 000 kind donations from 67 donors.
Update: Puppy Training has kicked off
Thefunds raised have been paid directly to Honey’s Guide Dogs, a non-profit organisation based in Cape Town which does a phenomenal job of selecting, training, and matching these incredible canines with their ‘forever companions’.
Jenna-Mae is incredibly excited to meet her furry friend, who will forever watch out for her, accompany her to school, and wherever her heart takes her.
There was initially three lovely sighthounds (greyhound) pups up for consideration, but we are happy to say it looks like Jenna-Mae will be getting a gorgeous young female pup named Isla. Isla is ALSO a rescue from Sighthound Rescue and Lucy from Honey’s Garden always tries her best to save dogs that would otherwise not have a home. Double win!!
Isla is a very cuddly dog with a gentle nature but is also a very active and playful pup. Isla is in a wonderful foster home now busy with training and has already completed a very successful puppy training year. Our very smart puppy has now started full-time “hero training” to be a qualified service dog.
Part of the process will also be sending down frozen saliva samples from Jenna-Mae so that Isla can get used to the scent of Jenna-Mae’s “highs” & “lows”. We are getting there people! It is becoming so real! Thanks again to each and every single person. We are so thankful, more than words will ever express!
If the fundraising campaign exceeds its target, the family will use additional funds raised to purchase Freestyle Libre sensor devices, which will be able to read Jenna-Mae’s sugar levels more accurately and less painfully. These devices cost R1000 and last up to 14 days.
Create a crowdfunding campaign
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far risen over R330 Million.
Rudy van Dieman (26), a tour guide for Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, began 2022 with an ambitious goal: to achieve 365 summits up Table Mountain, for charity.
The challenge which began on 1 January 2022, and will end on the 31st December 2022, came about as a means to show youngsters the power of a strong work ethic and demonstrate that they can achieve anything they set their hearts and minds to.
“What youngsters in our society need today, is a good role model, to show them that there are opportunities outside of drugs. crime and gangsterism and drugs. I hope my challenge will be a beacon of hope for those in disadvantaged communities” Says Rudy
Rudy, who has worked with several charities since matriculating high school in 2014, is focused this year on uplifting a new organisation, Angels SA, located in his hometown of Mitchells Plain, Cape Town.
With a crowdfunding campaign launched on Backabuddy, Rudy hopes to raise R1 Million, which the organisation can use to purchase a safe house for children.
“In Mitchells Plain, there are only three known orphanages, two are for babies until five years, and after that, children are placed in safe houses for three months then move from home to house until they find families to keep them longer. With the safe house, we want to create a stable life and environment for children, where they can stay until the age of 18, before entering the job market” – says Rudy
Rudy on Day 3 of his challenge.
Since the launch of his campaign Rudy has raised almost R5000 with kind contributions from 17 donors.
Thus far, Rudy has completed 44 climbs up Table Mountain, covering a distance of over 100 km, and has been joined by more than 15 individuals supporting his cause.
Rudy with a group of students inspired by his cause
Rudy’s initiative is inspired by his hero, Andrew Patterson, who through his 365 Ubuntu Climbs challenge in 2018, raised almost R1 Million rand on BackaBuddy, to support Habitat for Humanity, One Heart, and The Sunflower Fund. Read More.
“I watched Andrew climb table mountain every day through the summer sun and winter rain, I could never understand why he would do this. The more I watched him, the more it became clear to me, ‘to focus on today and what you can do right now to make South Africa better’ as Andrew says” – Rudy
Rudy with ‘Mountain Man’, Andrew Patterson in 2018
“Rudy first contacted me in 2020 to tell me he wanted to tackle this challenge. Climbing Table Mountain every day for a year is a mammoth undertaking — but once I heard why he wanted to do this, I had absolute faith in him. Rudy is an incredible man with big dreams and an even bigger heart. I’m incredibly proud of him and supporting him with every step he climbs.” – says Andrew
Determined to make a difference
Working full-time, living with epilepsy, and struggling financially, in conjunction with the physical demands of his challenge, has been difficult but no less rewarding says Rudy, who is determined to keep going.
“Just as life is difficult for so many people, this challenge hasn’t been a walk in the park, but I remain positive, and through God’s grace I am finding balance. I am putting one foot in front of the other, concentrating on the important things in life and trying my best to create positive change” – says Rudy
One step at a time, Rudy is determined to reach his goal
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far risen over R290 Million.
On 14 December 2021, Marizka De Villiers (26) and her two daughters Megan (5) and Chané (9 months), were brutally attacked by the neighbour’s pit bull on an agricultural plot in Randfontein, Johannesburg.
While looking for their dog which went missing, the neighbours dog broke through his chain, began circling Megan, and eventually attacked her face.
“I was fighting with the pitbull while holding my baby in my arms. I shouted out for help but no one came. I told Megan to lay still and to be quiet so that the pitbull would think that she’s dead” – says Marizka.
Without transport, Marizka walked to the nearest road, carrying both her children in her arms, and flagged down a motorist, who drove them to Mohtlakeng 24hr clinic.
Trying to save Megan’s life, Marizka got bitten on both her arms and on her hand, while holding Baby Chané, who suffered serious bites on her lower leg and limb, exposing the muscle to the left of her groin.
Megan’s injuries to her face and arms were so severe, that her chances of survival were minimal.
In need of serious medical attention, Marizka, Megan, and Chané were soon transferred to Leratong Hospital. Megan’s heart stopped beating for the first time on the way there.
Arriving at Leratong Hospital, which was at full capacity, Megan was declared “dead on arrival” as she lost a lot of blood and wasn’t breathing.
In the ambulance on the way to Baragwanath Hospital, Megan’s heart stopped beating for a second time. Fighting for her life, Megan didn’t give up and she pulled through, against all odds.
“This has by far been the most traumatic experience of my life. I have never been so scared and felt more helpless. It felt like time stood still while waiting to hear if my girls were going to make it” – says Marizka.
Hoping for Healing
After a week in the hospital, and not in need of surgery, Chané was eventually discharged on 21st December 2021.
Since the ordeal, Megan has had surgery on her face to close her wounds, as well as surgery on her lower and upper eyelids. She was finally discharged on Christmas eve, 24th December 2021, after spending 2 weeks in hospital.
The family has since moved to Hillshaven, Westonaria.
“Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy and happiness, but it was a very difficult time for our family. Every time I see our battle wounds, I am reminded of what we have gone through. Our lives changed in an instant” says Marizka.
Megan on 12 Jan 2022.
To assist the family with the reconstruction surgery Megan will need to undergo, as well as the trauma and occupational therapy she will need, Carol Murphy, a good samaritan, who met Marizka at Leratong Hospital, has launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy, to appeal to the public for support.
Since the launch of the campaign, over R5000 has been raised, towards the family’s fundraising target of R50 000, with kind contributions from 10 donors both locally and internationally.
Funds raised will be used for the family’s medical expenses and transport, as Marizka is currently unemployed, and doesn’t have medical aid or access to her own vehicle.
“I just want the girls to get the best treatment and surgery they might need and to be together. If this target is reached it will keep my faith in humankind, but most importantly, help the family who desperately needs help” – says Carol
Megan on 7 Feb 2022
“Megan is physically doing well but emotionally she’s struggling with the whole situation. I hope that she will recover fully and that she can get the best medical care” – says Marizka
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far raised over R300 Million.
The organisation, which is a positive public-private partnership, intersecting the government and the private sector, teams up with students to address issues of post-qualification employment and finding decent work.
ISFAP has generously agreed to give three students an opportunity to follow their university dreams, by covering 70% of their tuition fees,granted they are able to crowdfund the remaining 30% through their respective campaigns on BackaBuddy.
To qualify for the sponsorship, applicants have to be South African citizens and come from families whose annual income is between R0 – R600 000.00 per annum.
Since the launch of their campaigns, the students have raised a combined total of over 54 0000 with support from 29 donors both locally and internationally.
“This support will enable these students to acquire a broad set of knowledge, skills and character traits that will significantly improve their meaningful participation in the growth of the country, including the economy, human development, leadership, ethical behaviour and broad citizenship. The intention is to advance equal opportunity and equitable income distribution for all South Africans,” says ISFAP
Omolemo Tlomatsane (22), from Limpopo, Eastern Cape, is a first-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of Witwatersrand.
“I always wanted to know how buildings can move and not collapse? How can such tall buildings stand for many years and not fall? I was inquisitive in such a way that one day I looked at a flat for almost the whole day, trying to see it move. I started to fall in love with buildings, and even now when I walk around the streets of Johannesburg, I always look at the flats’ height, pattern, and architecture to see how they might be constructed to be well balanced.” – says Omolemo.
Having lost his parents at a very young age, his grandparents shortly afterwards, and being separated from his siblings, Omolemo has been left to care for himself at home.
Omolemo has raised R1 100 towards his fundraising goal of R45 000.
Sailin Nimalin Vadivelu, from Durban, is a first-year medical student pursuing a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree (MBChB) at the University of Pretoria.
“My passion for medicine has stemmed from an early age and was a childhood dream, as I saw the need to give back to the community,” says Sailin.
He has always been a star student who dreams of becoming a Cardiothoracic Surgeon one day, but due to the financial strain caused by the pandemic, his family has been unable to pay for his intuition which will hinder him from completing his studies.
Sailin has raised R38 000 towards his fundraising goal of R45 000.
Nsuku Raphela (20), from Polokwane is a third-year student, currently enrolled for a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Pretoria.
“My mission in this borrowed life is to attain the MBChB degree and become a qualified medical physician to help the community by saving lives and improving the quality of life in the future. I will do this by applying effort and hard work towards my studies and forming educational relations, unselfishness, peace, honesty, integrity, morals and collaboration for the benefit of everyone,” says Nsuku.
Coming from a home of a widowed single parent and three siblings, Nsuku has kept his dream of becoming a qualified medical physician to help the community alive.
Nsuku has raised R14 000 towards his fundraising goal of R45 000.
The Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme (ISFAP) was established in an effort to assist students with the costs of studying at Higher Education Institutions.
It aims to assist poor and ‘missing’ middle-income university students in selected fields of study to afford the university fees by means of providing financial aid provided the candidate meets certain prescribed requirements.
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far raised over R300 Million.
3-year-old, Kyleigh ‘Milana’ Kista, from Benoni South Africa was diagnosed with a Complex Congenital Heart Defect at birth, and needs urgent, life-saving treatment in the US within the next 3 months.
Kyleigh’s condition, known as Tetralogy of Fallot with Pulmonary Atresia, VSD & Mapca was first described by Cardio-Thoracic surgeons as a ‘monster in her chest.’
“Kyleigh does not have the valve that connects the heart to the lungs, the arteries that are meant to be attached to this value is free-floating and underdeveloped and not connected to her heart. She has a large hole in heart and survives on 2 collateral arteries of which one has already started to narrow severely. This all puts a lot of strain on her little body.“ says Serina Kista, Kyleigh’s mom.
In her short life, Kyleigh has endured 3 open-heart surgeries and countless non-invasive procedures that have done little to remedy her warrior heart.
A second chance for Kyleigh
In November 2021, the Kista family’s ‘world came crashing down’ when they were faced with limited options to save their daughter’s life in South Africa.
As a last resort, doctors suggested that the family wait until Kyleigh’s organs begin failing, at which point a heart & lung transplant would be considered.
As there are a limited number of donors available, and the fact that this procedure has never been performed on a paediatric patient before, the family feared the substantial risk their daughter would be subjected to.
“Kyleigh would need to be condemned to significant suffering and damage to her heart and lungs before being admitted into ICU in a critical condition to be placed on a donor list and fight for her life with no guarantee of finding a donor in time “, says Kyleigh’s mother Serina.
In absolute desperation to save Kyleigh’s life, the family investigated alternative treatments, finally reaching out to the Boston Children’s Hospital in the USA for a second opinion.
Answering their prayers, doctors revised Kyleigh’s case and restored all hope that their beautiful little girl could be saved and have a better quality of life.
“They proposed an innovative technique to repair her heart, which they currently perform with great success at the hospital. They will use Kyleigh current anatomy and reconstructing her blood vessels in order to flow effectively through her lungs while also incorporating her collateral arteries as part of this procedure.” says Serina.
Time is of the essence to save Kyleigh
Understanding the urgency of the procedure, the hospital kindly offered a reduced rate for the operation, which is still an astronomical amount for the family without power or influence.
To fund the operation in the USA, estimated at R5 000 000 ($295,761), the family has launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy, to appeal to the public to support their final and only hope to save their little one.
“Boston Children’s Hospital has given us new hope and we are holding on to this option with all that is in us. Without it, our little girl will never get the chance to grow up and have a normal, happy, healthy life.” – says Serina.
An outpouring of compassion
With overwhelming support from over donors both locally and internationally, over R4.7 million ($312 590) was raised on BackaBuddy, which has since been paid over to the medical facility in Boston!
The family’s visas have been approved and Kyleigh’s life-saving open heart surgery is set to take place on 24 March2022.
“We received overwhelming support from family, friends, colleagues and the community. Thank you for the heartfelt contributions, prayers and faith that Kyleigh will not only obtain the money for the procedure but will succeed through the procedure, bringing us to tears. We felt hopeless and alone but today we have so many people coming to Kyleigh’s rescue to help us give a future, an opportunity at life” says Kyleigh’s mother, Serina.
A mended heart
Kyleigh’s first operation, a cardiac cartherization, took place on 22 March 2022 at Boston Children’s Hospital.
During the 4 hour procedure, which ‘went even better than expected’ , Kyleigh’s arteries were ballooned and a stent was placed and dual supply was fixed.
With Kyleigh making a quick recovery, the final procedure to repair her heart and lung connection took place on 24 March 2022.
After 8 hours on the operating table, doctors declared the surgery a resounding success and Kyleigh was placed on a ventilator in ICU.
Fortunately, within less than 2 days of her surgery, Kyleigh was moved from the intensive care unit to the stepdown unit.
“Kyleigh’s recovery is astounding, it’s truly the grace of God!” – says Serina
‘We can breathe again’
Although Kyleigh’s surgery has been paid for, the fight is not yet over, Serina told IOL:
“Kyleigh will need medication after surgery. We are not sure what medication will be needed, they will advise us after the surgery is done. She will need annual check-ups and most likely a valve replacement when she is older.”
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far raised over R290 Million.
