Editor's Column - Clint Roper

Pienaar, McCarthy, Erasmus, Khune...You've been challenged!   A couple of weeks back, a mother and father arrived at the doors of Soccer Laduma with a major situation. They explained to us that their 20-year-old daughter, whose 21st birthday is next year in October, desperately wanted to celebrate her 21st. The kicker... she has a rare lung disease and to reach her 21st birthday, she needs a new set of lungs. The only way to realize this dream is through organ donation.    When they told us their dream, I immediately thought that, with South Africa being a very advanced nation with regards to cutting-edge surgery and medical breakthroughs, this should not be a problem, especially when you consider the first successful heart transplant in the world happened right here in South Africa. Then they explained that, while South Africa were certainly equipped to perform the surgery required, it was finding the new set of lungs that was the major obstacle. The fact of the matter is that only a very small percentage of South Africans are registered donors, so finding a set of lungs was highly improbable. Helping their daughter reach her 21st birthday was their touching goal, yet it was one that was looking more and more unlikely they would achieve.    This is what led them to Soccer Laduma. Their plea was simple: try and make people aware of the situation and to get as many of our Soccer Laduma family of millions to sign-up and become Organ Donors. For those of you who want to see this young lady's campaign to find a new set of lungs, you can head to https://www.getmeto21.com/ and listen to her impassioned plea… her cry for help.    When Jenna's family left, we at Soccer Laduma decided to throw our support behind a campaign to try an increase the numbers of organ donors in this country, because if this is affecting Jenna's family, then there must be thousands of our millions of readers who are in the same predicament, but have not been able to make it to our doors to reach out their hand and ask for help; families in remote parts of our country without the resources or, maybe even the know-how, to get in touch with us to ask us to speak to the Soccer Laduma family of readers for them.   Now, before I explain the campaign, here are some facts about organ donation in South Africa…   • The largest community in SA in need of kidney transplants is the black population. Kidney failure affects black South Africans more than any other demographic in this country.   • Only when you die are your organs considered for use.   • It takes two doctors that aren't on the transplant team to declare you brain dead before your organs can be used.   • 4300 adults and children are awaiting organs. Last year, only 566 transplants took place, and the year before that only 573.   • An average of 10 kidney transplants take place at the Red Cross Children's Hospital a year. This is down to 3 this year and 5 last year, simply because there are so few donors.   • 0.2% of the SA population are organ donors – this is one of the lowest in the world. In Spain, which has a population the same size as SA, 34.7% of the population are organ donors.   • There is no cut off age and anyone can become an organ donor.   • People suffering from Aids are able to donate their organs to other Aids patients who are in need of a transplant.   • Head to www.odf.org.za to become an organ donor.   • It doesn't cost a cent to become an organ donor.    Now, the number seven in soccer is quite famous. Some of the best players in the world have worn it. My favourites include the likes of Eric Cantona, George Best, Ronaldo, David Beckham, Bryan Robson and Roy Keane. It's the number I have always tried to wear each season from the earliest age, and even now in my social football career it is the number I wear. Little did I know that this magical number is also the number of lives that are saved each time someone signs up to become an organ donor. That's right, donating your organs will save 7 lives: 1 heart, 2 kidneys, 1 liver, 2 lungs, 1 pancreas = 7 lives.   Because of this, the Soccer Laduma team have come up with the #7TapsFor7Lives challenge. Make sure you head to www.snl24.com/soccerladuma today and check out the SLTV section for the full video.    The way the challenge works is that you have to head over to the South African Organ Donor Foundation website, which can be found at www.odf.org.za, and fill out the online form. This literally takes only minutes. Once you have done that, and are a registered donor, get a friend, teammate, mom, dad or coach to film you doing your seven taps of a soccer ball. You then get to challenge seven people to do the same. Once you have created your video, tweet it using the hashtag #7TapsFor7Lives and copy in @Soccer_Laduma so we can retweet your challenge and share it on all of our social media platforms. You can also email it to editor@snl24.com/soccerladuma and we will put it up on our website.    My challenge is already up, and if any of you know DJ Fresh, Robert Marawa, Steven Pienaar, Benni McCarthy, Bob Skinstad, Kermit Erasmus or Itumeleng Khune, please inform them they have been officially challenged!   To all of our readers, please jump on board with this campaign! The truth of the matter is that it's a truly South African campaign, where South Africans can save the lives of other South Africans. Our organs are considered national assets, so let's all hold hands on this issue and show real Ubuntu.    Like football, organ donation is age, colour and gender blind. We can all show it love, and it will show us love in return. Whether you are young or old, whether you are pink, blue or red, whether you boy or girl, your selfless donations of your organs can be used to save lives!    #7TapsFor7Lives   Clint   Click Here To Watch #7TapsFor7Lives