Mighty Mack has been sent home after months in the hospital to have some family time before starting her next round of chemo.
Johannesburg, South Africa (06 September 2021) – We are sobbing! After months of reporting on Mighty Mack’s cancer battle and her community’s efforts to raise awareness to get her a bone marrow match, the day has arrived that she can go home to live with mom and dad for a bit.
The news came through yesterday, and we were flooded with tears of joy and relief. We can only imagine what her parents, Megan and Bronson, must be feeling!
Mack, whose full name is Mackenzie Friedman, started her cancer journey at the tender age of just 4-months-old. She was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) on Wednesday, 12th of May 2021; since then, she has been fighting various medical conditions, from infection to having a mass removed from her lungs.
Thankfully, her cancer count dropped during her 9 weeks in ICU. She was moved to the general ward and started chemo to try and obliterate the last remaining cancer in her blood. The great news is that since all her struggles, Mack has been sent home to spend time with her parents before she goes back to the hospital for her next round of chemo. She now has two weeks to soak up non-stop time with mom and dad.
The exciting news was shared on the Mighty Mack Facebook page, and hundreds of supporters have shared their blessing on the family.
“Mack is home!!
What a way to celebrate her 8-month milestone after spending the last 4 months of her life in hospital.
We are hoping she will be able to stay home with mom and dad until the 19th September, when she will go back in to start her next round of IV chemo.
We’ve been praying for this day, and there were some dark days when we weren’t sure if we’d ever see it, but our little miracle girl has done it.
We will be forever grateful for the incredible doctors and nurses who have gotten her to this point, and to Mack’s mighty Army for every prayer, message, meal and the endless support.”
We are overjoyed and so proud of everyone who has been involved in this story so far. Continued support of blood drives and bone marrow registration will save so many lives. It is also vital to ensure early detection of childhood cancer. Megan and Bronson shared their experience; you can read all about how they detected Mack’s cancer in time here.
How to become a registered donor
- Register Online at www.dkms-africa.org (formally known as The Sunflower Fund) or www.sabmr.co.za.
- You will be notified if you qualify to be a donor by working through their lists.
- No blood or needles involved, just a cheek swab.
- Registering is free of charge.
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