The Big Favour: looking back

Walt Disney once said that you can dream the most beautiful idea in the world, but it takes people to make that dream become a reality.

Through our Big Favour, we’ve been able to make so many dreams come true …but without the help of our generous sponsors, the ideas would still just be dreams.

Christine’s dream was a simple one.

Her friends Ben and Colleen wrote to us saying that it was her only wish to have tea with her rugby hero, Jannie Du Plessis.

We arranged a magnificent tea for her where she got to sit and chat to Jannie - and there was a surprise trip up the skycar at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Unfortunately just weeks later, Christine succumbed to her illness.

There have been many other requests from listeners suffering from life threatening illnesses.

Derek wrote in asking to skydive. Having terminal cancer, he’d promised his daughter when she was just a little girl that one day…. he’d skydive with her.

Derek’s dream came true and he made the jump with his daughter.

Nico and Megan, who had planned a dream wedding, wrote in asking for help.

Nico had been diagnosed with cancer and they had spent all their savings for their wedding on his treatment, so funds were desperately short for the big day.

Thanks to a whole ton of sponsors who jumped on board to help, we arranged absolutely everything - from a wedding venue and decor to a cake, flowers and everything else that goes with getting married.

We had the opportunity to meet an incredible woman called Bev, suffering from stage four cancer.

Bev wrote in not thinking for a minute of herself – but about the amazing staff at the Durban Oncology Centre. She thought it would be nice to honour the team with a spa treatment to say thank you for all they do, not only for her, but for all their patients.

Take a listen to Bev's story below:

Roelene contacted us asking for a train trip for her mom and step-dad.

Having lost three family members in the space of a few months, Roelene’s mom’s biggest wish was to travel by train. As a little girl she’d travelled on a train and, feeling completely overwhelmed from dealing with so much loss, her wish was to just take a break…and travel on a train.

We sent them on the magnificent première class train to Johannesburg, accommodated them for two nights in 5fivestar luxury…. and then railed them back to Durban.

An amazing newlywed couple, Nicki and Trevor, started their lives together with bad news. Just two months after being married, Trevor was diagnosed with kidney failure. After months and months of searching, a donor just couldn’t be found.

Out of the blue, Nicki decided to see if there was any chance she’d be a match – and she was!

She donated her kidney to her husband but in the process exhausted all of their savings.

This young couple (pictured below) just needed a break over Christmas. The Riverside Spar gave them six months’ worth of grocery vouchers to help get them on their feet.

Khulekhani wrote a heartbreaking letter to us asking us for help.

His mother had passed away and he had no money to bury her.

We arranged a funeral, hymn sheets and Khulekhani was able to hold his head high and give his mom the funeral and the dignity she deserved.

Take a listen below: 

The list goes on and on….

There have been concert tickets to see musicians and superstars visiting our country, children meeting their favourite WWE stars, to computers for students wanting to study.

We arranged a massive braai on National Braai Day for the children at Malvern Children’s Home and a trip to the beach and uShaka Marine World for 415 orphans who had never seen the sea before.

Take a listen to the sound clips below. 

A church soup kitchen that was robbed was given new pots and pans and enough food to keep the soup kitchen going for months.

There was car hire for wheelchair dancers visiting Cape Town who had no transport to get them to their dancing competition.

There was a Jungle Gym for a group of orphans in a rural area and we gave out hundreds of soccer balls to soccer-mad children.

We’ve given new life to countless people who needed wheelchairs.

Little Elijah, who couldn’t walk, was given a special walking frame and young Courtney’s mom wrote in to us asking for nothing more than a “nice soft comfortable mattress” for her daughter, who was suffering from Cerebral Palsy. Lying in her bed all day, Courtney was uncomfortable because she wasn’t able to sit upright.

We arranged a proper hospital bed that lifted and supported Courtney which made the last few months of her life so much more pleasant.

A HUGE thank you to all of our sponsors, who have made so many dreams come true this year.

Without you, we wouldn’t have been able to change lives.

- Damon Beard