One of the dreams that came true because of the Reach For A Dream Foundation’s Slipper Day fundraiser for 2022 is that of Koketso Tanke (15) from Kuruman in the Northern Cape.
He suffers from Osteosarcoma, a type of cancer that begins in the cells that form bones. This developed within the proximal tibia in his left leg, the upper portion of the bone that widens to help form the knee joint, that had to be amputated in January.
He received treatment in the Universitas Academic Hospital and when Reach For A Dream learnt about Koketso, they decided to make one of his dreams come true.
According to Kerry Donkin, the organisation’s Free State and KwaZulu-Natal regional manager, Koketso was not very engaging after his life-altering operation.
“We learnt that he dreamt about having his own laptop to keep up with his school work and to watch movies.”
She said the Bloemfontein team went to visit Koketso in the hospital, taking along his laptop, as well as some of his favourite treats and some games.
“His mom later told the team that after he heard about our visit, he immediately started smiling and his mood changed. He even did the prescribed exerscises given to him by his doctors that he kept putting off.
“As we entered his hospital room, he gave us the biggest and brightest smile. We set up the games and had a mini championship – and, of course, he was the overall winner. When we handed him his wrapped laptop, the look on his face when he realised wat is was, was priceless. His dream may not have been exceptional or fancy, but the impact was just as powerful and it made the biggest difference in Koketso’s life, especially at a time when he needed to be reminded that dreams do come true.”
You can support Reach for a Dream by taking part in Slipper Day on 5 May and buying a R20 sticker at the organisation’s retail partners. These include Wimpy, Pick n Pay, Dis-Chem and ToyZone.
Wear you sticker on 5 May along with your favourite slippers to help Reach for a Dream make the dreams of children with life-threatening illnesses, come true.
