In July 2008 our friend Nic had an emergency heart transplant.
It was successful and his body accepted the new heart. We dubbed him bioNic after
the transplant. Unfortunately there were other complications which tragically led
to
his untimely passing. Nic was 29. His new heart was fine.
Nic’s amazing spiritual and positive outlook on life and how much he loved his wife Sharon
and cared for all his friends and family left an impression on all of us. It seems
fitting that we honour and remember him by establishing The bioNIC Fund.
We want to raise as much money as we can for
The Organ Donor
Foundation's (ODF) Flight for life Programme through our
participation in the 2009 Cape Epic marathon mountain bike stage race.
It’s 8 crazy days of 750kms with16 500m of climbing.
The race is highly competitive and physically taxing, with up to 10 of the past
and current World Cup champions competing.
It’s quite simple.
We’re looking for donations per kilometer or a flat donation.
We’d like to further challenge everyone to commit to a bonus donation
if we achieve a top 30 overall position (phew).
This can easily be achieved by a
pledge done via email.
Any donation will help large or small. Individual or corporate.
All donations should be done directly to the ODF and referenced as Bionic Fund
If you don’t have the means to donate money, give life and become an organ donor.
So dig deep, We know we are going to have to during the Epic.
Bruce and Stuart Anderson
Team Twin
All money raised through the bioNIC Fund goes directly to the Organ Donor Foundation’s
Transplant Flight For Life Programme. Financing emergency charter flights
to deliver organs from all over the country.
The financing and administration of this Programme is an integral part of the Organ
Donor Foundation’s role in transplantation. There is no other organization in South
Africa that pays for the transport of organs. It is administered on a national basis
with no exclusions. Both the private and state sectors, have access to the Programme.
The Organ Donor Foundation receives nine sponsored flights each year however, often
these flights are unavailable, in which case the funding we source is used to pay
for chartered flights. The cost of which ranges anywhere between R15 000 and R45
000 per flight and places a huge burden on the fundraising efforts of the Organ
Donor Foundation.
There are medically acceptable cold ischemic times for solid organs. For eg. Once
a heart has been removed, there is only 4 hours, in which time it needs to be transported
and transplanted into the recipient. So, it is vital that the ODF has sufficient
funds to transport organs timeously in order to save lives.
In 2007, the Transplant Flight for Life Programme was able to retrieve a total of
25 life-saving organs. Each flight gives a waiting patient another chance at life.
Below is a list of organs that can be transplanted and how long the organ can be
out of the body after recovery and before transplantation:
Heart
4 hours
Lungs
4-6 hours
Pancreas 12-24
hours
Liver
12-24 hours
Intestine
12-24 hours
Kidneys
48-72 hours
The ODF gets no funding from Government and relies entirely on funds donated
by individuals,
companies, trusts and foundations.
There are 2 methods of donating; Direct deposit via Internet or at a bank
and by cheque.
Please be sure to mark your donations appropriately with ‘Bionic Fund’.
This allows tracking of deposits made to the Organ Donor Foundation
via the BioNIC Fund.
The Organ Donor Foundation has Section 18A tax exemption status in terms
of the Income Tax Act. Accordingly any donation in excess of R100 is tax
deductible and we will mail you a "Tax Certificate."
1 - Direct Deposit
ABSA Bank
The Organ Donor Foundation (Bionic Fund)
Account No: 01273580600
Brach Code: 506009
Branch: Heerengracht
Beneficiary Reference: Bionic Fund
Please fax your deposit slip and contact details to (021) 426 0197.
Please include Bionic Fund on your slip and all your details (including telephone
number) so we can send you a Section 18A tax certificate, if your donation
is in excess of R100.
2 - Write a Cheque
Please write a cheque in favour of the "Organ Donor Foundation" and post
it to:
The Organ Donor Foundation (Bionic Fund)
P.O. Box 2349
Cape Town
8000
Please include on back of cheque : Bionic Fund
Please include all your details (including telephone number) so we can send
you a Section 18A tax certificate, if your donation is in excess of R100.
Hi,
We are really chuffed to be competing in the 2009 Cape Epic and even more happy
to
be able to make a little difference through the bioNIC Fund for The Organ Donor
Foundation.
A little bit about us...
Bruce is a Creative Director at advertising agency, Network BBDO in Johannesburg
and
Stuart is an Architect and the founding partner of Perry Anderson Architects in
Cape Town.
There’s a very unique and special connection between twin brothers and we intend
to test
and forge this bond during our crazy Epic adventure.
We’ve attached a few pics and the designs of our team twin kit. So look out for
us as we
train individually in our respective cities and together over the next few months.
Please use the link to the Organ Donor Foundation on this website to understand
more about
the gift of being an organ donor and to donate some much needed money.
A big thanks in advance to Michy and Jo for all the time we will sacrifice away
from you both
during our hours of training. Also thanks to the all the companies that have helped
us in
getting an entry, making kit and implemented this website.
Okay, back to work and training.
God Bless
Bruce and Stuart Anderson
Team Twin