Scots mum helps fundraise life-saving op for best friend

Riekie - who desperately needs a bone marrow transplant - with her two young children. Picture: Contributed

Bekki Smith-Dutton, from Montrose in Angus, has until August to help her midwife friend Riekie Cloete raise £15,000 for a bone marrow transplant.

Mum-of-two Riekie has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukaemia.

The bone marrow transplant is her only hope of seeing her two young children grow up.

Bekki with her best friend Riekie. Picture: contributed

Against the odds, a match has been found for the nurse, but the surgeon can only perform the procedure if he receives the funds.

Riekie, who met Bekki when they worked together on cruise ships, lives in South Africa and does not have health care to cover the procedure.

Without the transplant, she has a one in 100,000 chance of survival.

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Bekki, who owns Cloud 9 Salon in Arbroath, said: “Riekie is a 39-year-old single mother of two young children. She is a Nursing Sister and has helped thousands of people get well.

“Riekie has been diagnosed with a very aggressive bone marrow cancer. She is currently awaiting a stem cell transplant. This is the only known cure and it gives her a massive 70 per cent chance of survival.

“Her cancer cell count is now 300 per cent and blast cell count is at 19 per cent. It is dangerously high, she needs the transplant now.”

Bekki said that money raised would help pay for the transplant and any additional funds needed for staying at hospital. Riekie will be unable to work while receiving treatment.

Bekki added: “It is not going to be a walk in the park, and it is going to be a full blast bone marrow transplant. Riekie will be losing her hair, become very sick before getting better. There will be weekly/monthly tests afterwards for two years. This transplant is her only hope.”

To help Riekie please click here

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