By Lance Guma
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HARARE – With only a day left before five-year old Natasha Sanyanga was due to fly out to India for a life-saving bone marrow transplant, an organisation who have chosen to remain anonymous, made a deposit of US$45 000 to the hospital where the operation is meant to carried out.
A statement by Natasha’s mum Sylvia Sanyanga said the organisation which had paid the US$45 000 deposit would also pay an additional $35 000 that is needed for a donor if the dad, herself or the brother are not a match.
She also confirmed that two companies had given them four air tickets to travel to India.
Natasha who lives in Harare with her family suffers from a condition called Aplastic Anaemia. In this disease, the bone marrow shuts down and stops making new blood cells meaning she effectively has no immune system to fight off diseases. Children with this disease need treatment quickly to survive.
Natasha needed US$100 000 to pay for the operation and her appeal attracted the support of celebrities like Oliver Mtukudzi, Makosi Musambasi, Tinopona Katsande, Stunner, Pokello Nare, Jah Prayzah, Mechanic Manyeruke, Amarra Brown, ZimPraise choir and blind cricket commentator Dean du Plessis.
Sylvia Sanyanga thanked everyone who had devoted their time to helping Natasha.
“Last night at a beautiful fundraising dinner Oliver Mtukudzi brought people to tears when he sang Seiko and there were even more tears after we had done auctions and people bought art work that Natasha had done for as much as $1100 and even then we had only reached $30 000.00.”
“We have decided to open a trust fund under Natasha’s name for children with a similar condition to Natasha’s. No parent should ever have to go through what we went through and so we would like to be there for them as you were for us through this trust fund. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all” who helped.
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