We all love a good pool day and for Mighty Mack who has spent months in the hospital, pool days are the very best way to spend her time.
Johannesburg, South Africa (23 February 2022) – Mackenzie “Mighty Mack” Friedman is a water baby and after being sent home from the hospital, she has loved every moment of being in the bath or pool.
January was a huge month for the Friedman family. Firstly, Mighty Mack celebrated her 1st birthday on the 5th of January 2022. She then went on to celebrate her bone marrow transplant on the 14th of January 2022 from which she has quickly recovered.
February has been an equally good month for the family. Mackenzie finally went home and the family announced some very exciting news, but we won’t spoil the surprise just yet!
Mackenzie underwent a quick surgery to have a port inserted. The port will enable the doctors to easily administer any medications so that her veins can have a well-deserved break. The port has also meant that she can spend as much time as she likes in the pool.
“Mackenzie has been having the most wonderful time at home with her family. Because she has had a port inserted instead of a Hickman line she is now allowed to swim! She is such a water baby just like her mommy and is very vocal about not wanting to get out of the bath or pool when it is time!”
Mack still heads to the doctor each week so that she can have regular testing. The testing will lead up to her 100 days post-transplant at which point, should her tests remain clear, they will be able to declare Mack cancer-free. At the moment, her tests are looking very good. At the end of the 100 days of isolation, which is being done to keep Mack’s immune system strong, she will be able to ring the cancer bell. So please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.
One of the highlights for Megan and Bronson week last week, was meeting an adult Bone Marrow Transplant recipient who had undergone her transplant a week after Mack’s. She explained how Mack’s story filled her with so much hope.
“At last week’s appointment an adult patient who underwent a Bone Marrow Transplant a week after Mack came over to tell us that she had taken so much strength in watching Mackenzie go through the process and stay so strong and that she had given her the strength to keep fighting. This was so incredible to hear! We hope that Mack can keep on inspiring for years to come!”
The 100 days ends on the 22nd of April 2022. And in case you missed the sneaky update, Mighty Mack is going to be a big sister in April too! We want to share a huge congratulations to Megan, Bronson and Mackenzie!
If you are new to her journey, you can read all about her cancer battle and how she won over the hearts of thousands of South Africans here.
Helping Others
The family have been highlighting several new stories of children in the same position as Mack was last year. The latest is baby Rayaan. He was diagnosed with the same form of cancer that Mack had. You can follow his story here.
While Mack has her match and is doing well, their hope is that other families can have the same positive outcome.
To make sure this happens, they continue to raise awareness about the importance of blood donation and registering as a bone marrow donor.
For bone marrow donations: You can sign up to be a bone marrow donor at www.dkms-africa.org (formally known as The Sunflower Fund) or www.sabmr.co.za. The Bone Marrow Registry is international, so if you are overseas, you can still register and get tested.
You will be notified if you qualify to be a donor by working through their lists. To register, there is no blood or needles involved, just a cheek swab. Registering is free of charge.
For blood donations: If you are between the ages of 16 and 75, weigh 50kg or more, are healthy on the day of donation and lead a safe sexual lifestyle, you should be able to donate. Blood donation takes 30 minutes of your time, and you can donate every 56 days. Donors can rest assured that it is safe to donate blood and that all COVID-19 safety protocols are in place. You can search SANBA branches here to find a donation centre close to you.
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