The bell is traditionally rung at the end of chemotherapy or radiation but in Mackenzie’s case, her bell ring symbolises the end of her entire battle.
Johannesburg, South Africa (16 April 2022) – Today Mackenzie “Mighty Mack” Friedman has rung her cancer bell! After 339 days of fighting Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, she is cancer-free and we are so excited to see her reaction.
Mackenzie got to ring the bell at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre. The bell is traditionally rung at the end of chemotherapy or radiation but in Mackenzie’s case, her bell ring symbolises the end of her entire battle.
Mighty Mack was formally diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) on Wednesday, 12th of May, 2021 and confirmed cancer-free on the 13th of April, 2022. Her parents, Megan Harrington-Johnson and Bronson Friedman, have spent every waking moment praying for the day they could share that she is cancer-free.
Mackenzie’s bone marrow numbers came back yesterday and she is now sitting at 99%. This is very positive news and means things are looking good.
“We actually don’t have words to express how we feel right now. It seams almost surreal, this is the moment that we dreamed of for months and months.” – Megan Harrington-Johnson
Shortly after Mackenzie was diagnosed, Megan took a photo of the bell in and shared it with the family, saying that they would ring that bell to celebrate one day.
“We just got so blessed with the people that crossed our path in this journey. The doctors, nurses, and medical professionals that we have been exposed to, they truly have all played a part in saving her life.”
Speaking to Megan, we asked what advice she has for parents who find themselves at the start or the middle of a child’s cancer battle.
“Just take it one step at a time, you can’t look at the whole mountain, you just have to put one foot in front of the other and just keep going.”
Take a look at Mackenzie ringing her bell below.
If you are new to Mighty Mack’s journey, you can read all about her cancer battle and how she won over the hearts of thousands of South Africans here.
The family will continue to advocate for more blood and bone marrow donors in South Africa. These organisations played a vital role in Mackenzie’s recovery. If you want to become either, you can find the relevant details below.
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. To register, there is no blood or needles involved, just a cheek swab and 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 SANBS branches here to find a donation centre close to you.
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