Maties Rugby Club will make a private donation to Mihla Engelbrecht (4) after the Maties Varsity Cup campaign #Maties4Mihla took place on 5 March. The campaign aimed to raise awareness for the four-year-old who suffers from a rare form of cancer called cerebral blastoma.
The Maties Varsity Cup team managed to beat the Ikeys 33-14 at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch and little Mihla’s uncle and hero, Neethling Fouché, was appointed as man of the match, securing another R1500 contribution to Mihla’s trust fund.
“Having the campaign also raised a lot of awareness about Mihla’s rare disease,” Fouché said. “I really believe that Mihla’s positive personality and fighting spirit inspired everyone at the match,” his wife, Janca Fouché, added.
Neethling said that having the campaign made the rugby players perform on another level. “The campaign really gave the team the opportunity to grow on a personal level,” he said.
As reported on 2 March, what was thought to be meningitis turned out to be a rare form of cancer (with only about 75 documented cases) for Mihla, who was once, according to her parents, Shani and Rudo Engelbrecht, a “bubbly, cheeky little girl”.
Little Mihla Engelbrecht (4) before starting chemotherapy to treat her rare form of brain cancer, cerebral neuroblastoma. PHOTO: Photolove Photography.
After Mihla’s story touched many hearts in South Africa, Platinum Stars Nursery School in Rustenburg initiated the fundraiser, Day of Change. The event was held on 16 March and various schools got the opportunity to contribute coins to raise money for the $522 356 USD (R6 211 884) treatment Mihla has to receive.
More than 30 schools took part in the fundraising day including schools like Platinum Stars Nursery School, Meadow Ridgies, Vastrap Primary School in Rustenburg, Wesvalia High School in Klerksdorp and Augsburg Agriculture Gymnasium in Clanwilliam, to name a few.
“The aim of the event is to create a platform where schools can bring coins and raise funds for a different child in need annually,” said Janca.
Various schools across the country participated in the annual ‘Day of Change’ coin day to raise money for Mihla’s treatment. PHOTOS: MIHLA TRUST Facebook Page.
A group of cyclers who named themselves the Boland 8 tackled the Tour de Boland cycling tour in which they rode 700 kilometres and climbed 6300 metres over 6 days to raise R500 000 for Mihla’s trust.
According to Janca, this is the largest amount of money yet to be donated at once to little Mihla.
Stage 1 of the tour started at Cape Town Stadium, where the cyclists passed Bloubergstrand into the Winelands and finished in Franschhoek at the Hugenote Museum. The second stage started in Franschhoek and brought the cyclists to Slanghoek Valley from where they left for Montagu to finish the third stage.
According to Paul Rebelo, one of the Boland 8 cyclists, stage 4 was the most challenging.
For stage 4 of the tour, the cyclists had to ride Burgers Pass between Montagu and Touws River and head to Ceres to finish the longest day of the tour at the Charlie Hofmeyr School.
The Tour de Boland made special commemorative cycling jerseys for all participants in honour of Mihla and on 7 March, the cyclists finished stage 4 in their pink attire.
“What a sight it was to see so much pink on the streets,” said Rebelo. “[We were] fighting to finish this difficult stage in much the same way that Mihla is fighting her own personal battle.”
According to Rebelo, the team faced rain, wind, a broken pedal and a flat tyre all within the first 50 kilometres of the 4th stage.
From here the team headed to Bainskloof pass, through Wellington and ended the day off in Riebeeck West. The last stage of the tour brought the Boland 8 from Riebeeck West to Stellenbosch.
Rebelo said Mihla meeting them at the end of stage 1 of the tour was a highlight during the event. The Boland 8 team also received an emotional video from Mihla the night before they started with stage 4 of the tour.
“Being able to ride for Mihla has been inspirational for us all,” said Rebelo. “We hope that the contribution we as Boland 8 have been able to make for her, goes a long way to reaching the ultimate goal…”
The Boland 8 team managed to ride 700Km and climb 6300m over six days to raise R500 000 for Mihla’s trust fund. PHOTOS: Paul Rebelo.
On 14 March, Mihla’s 254th day suffering from cerebral neuroblastoma, her hemoglobin count dropped to 6.5, causing her 3-day maintenance chemotherapy-treatment to be postponed.
“All A+ irradiated blood is out of stock,” wrote Shani on the MIHLA TRUST Facebook page. “We will have to wait for a blood donation before we can continue the last bit of chemo.”
According to Janca the process to receive blood donations was extremely tricky seeing that Mihla needed irradiated blood.
“We are very lucky that she did receive blood and was able to eventually finish her chemotherapy,” Janca said. “We want to encourage people to donate blood, it will really help to slow down the waiting process and it might save a life.”
4-year-old Mihla sleeping next to her father, Rudo Engelbrect, while awaiting a blood donation before finishing her chemotherapy. PHOTO: MIHLA TRUST Facebook page.
Little Mihla will finish her final chemotherapy treatment on 23 November 2018.
“We are extremely excited,” the Fouchés said. “We will be flying to Pretoria to be there. It’s going to be a huge moment for all of us.”
Until then, Mihla will get dressed in a princess dress everyday and smile at the challenges life throws at her.
Any contributions to Mihla’s treatment can be made on her gofundme page named Princess Mihla – Fighting Cancer.