More than R15 000 has been raised to fund a Stellenbosch mother of three’s cancer treatment, but she must still raise over R23 000 if she is to survive beyond the next few months. This is according to Kirstie van Blerk, Bonita Orson’s social worker and the founder of Orson’s fundraising campaign on BackaBuddy.
Bonita Orson was diagnosed with Myeloma in September 2021, said Van Blerk.
“Every bit helps. And I really appreciate everyone who has contributed to the fund,” said Bonita Orson, a 42-year-old Stellenbosch mother who is trying to raise money to fund her cancer treatment. Pictured above is Orson. PHOTO: Supplied/Bonita Orson
“Myeloma is an uncommon cancer of a certain type of white blood cell called a plasma cell. The plasma cells accumulate in the bone marrow and result in damage to the body,” explained Dr Perry Loebenberg, a haematologist at Constantiaberg Haemotology.
A flicker of hope
Multiple Myeloma is not curable but can be controlled with various medications, said Loebenberg. However, a new drug called Darzalex is “a highly effective form of treatment which, when used alongside other medications, can lead to long lasting remissions”, according to Loebenberg. Darzalex could add months if not years to Orson’s life, claimed Van Blerk.
“[Orson] has been receiving medical treatment at Netcare Kuilsrivier Hospital but has been unsuccessful at getting her cancer into remission,” said Van Blerk.
Van Blerk has appealed to the public to assist with raising funds to upgrade Orson’s medical aid plan so that Orson can be treated with Darzalex, she said.
“We’ve raised R15 443 so far and still need to raise an extra R23 567 to get to R39 000,” said Kirstie van Blerk of the fundraising campaign she is running to raise money for Bonita Orson, a 42-year-old Stellenbosch mother with Myeloma. Pictured above is Orson. PHOTO: Supplied/Bonita Orson
“We’ve raised R15 443 so far and still need to raise an extra R23 567 to get to R39 000 [for her cancer treatment],” said Van Blerk.
“With Bonita, I think her family was just too humble to ask for financial help,” said Van Blerk.
She added that Orson has three children, a 26-year-old who is intellectually disabled and completely dependent on her mother’s care, a two-year-old and a nine-year-old.
A beacon of strength
“The extra years that Darzalex could add to my life [would] really mean a lot to me, because then I can see my children grow up and I can raise them myself,” said Orson.
The thought of her children motivates her to stay strong, Orson told MatieMedia.
“My second oldest daughter’s name is Octavia and she is nine years old. One day, when I was feeling down, she came to me and said ‘It doesn’t matter if Mommy is in the hospital or Mommy is losing her hair, we still love you’,” recalled Orson.
Orson’s sister, Olivia Muller, described Orson as one of the “kindest and strongest” people she has ever met.
Muller is hopeful that her sister’s fundraising page will generate enough support to upgrade her medical aid plan in time for her to receive treatment and spend this Christmas with her family.
“[Bonita] is the strongest person I know,” said Olivia Muller, the sister of Bonita Orson, a 42-year-old Stellenbosch mother who was diagnosed with blood cancer in September 2021. AUDIO: Téa Bell