“This was my second trip with New Life and I can in all honesty say that it was the absolute best trip that I have ever had. The new New Life clinic in is amazing, Junette our co-coordinator is amazing, the other girls on the trip was amazing so overall the trip was just (yes you guessed it) AMAZING. Let’s start at the beginning…

Doing a trip for only a week is what first attracted me to become a donor at New Life, I’m a student and it is sometimes very difficult to get away and miss classes etc. for longer than a week. I then met Junette and she was the final reason why I signed up. Having such a kind-hearted, nice co-coordinator looking after us puts a girl’s mind at rest. You know you will be safe, well looked after and that everything is taken care of. There is thus nothing to worry about and you can just focus on your donation.

After all the tests and scans it was go time. The excitement you feel before flying to visit a foreign country never gets old. All of the South African donors came together at Cape Town International airport for a last home breakfast with Junette before we were off. The flights etc. are well organized and we did not have a long lay-over at Dubai’s airport which makes the flight time so much quicker.

When we got to our destination we hopped into a cab and were off to the new apartments. On my previous trip we stayed in a beautiful hotel and it was really nice, but the new apartments just had that something extra you need on a trip. They are very spacious with different rooms, a nice equipped kitchen, a lounge and TWO bathrooms. Having an extra bathroom where a lot of girls stay is always a plus point. The staff was very friendly, the apartments very clean and the swimming pool and Jacuzzi a real treat. There is also a gym and entertainment room.

All of the girls on this trip (including myself) are on a bit off a health kick. The apartments helped so much for this. We went to Tesco and bought the nicest, healthiest groceries. One of the girls cooked for us a few times. The meals were delicious and we sat around the table like a little family and ate and talked nonsense for hours on end. This never would have been possible in a hotel.

After exploring our new home we were off to the clinic for our final scans and retrieval dates. I could not believe my eyes when I walked into the clinic and it was so clean and beautiful. I love the modern look. And even more of a surprise was the fact that there was no queue of girls sitting there waiting for a scan. When you walk in you get helped straight away, fill in your forms and go for your scan. No sitting around for hours and hours like at the other clinics. The Doctor at the clinic is such a nice person. He makes you feel at ease from the moment he meets you. The scans etc. went very well and it was time to get some sleep.

We had the best adventure on our fourth day on the trip . We went riding on elephants!! This was so much fun. Even though I was really scared I enjoyed every second of it. Especially when they walked into the water. I have not ever giggled nervously so much in my whole life. Thank you so much to Junette and the New Life team who made this fun experience possible for us.

On the day of our retrieval I was once again amazed by the clinic. I went in quite early and they give you a bed to rest on before you get a drip before your procedure. This was new for me as I have never before been prepped before a procedure. Usually it is get dressed in that ugly “dress” and in you go. This time we got medicine in the form of drips to make the after care so much easier for a donor. And it worked!!!! Never in the past did I feel so good after donating. I felt completely normal in such a way that it makes one wonder if the procedure has happened or if it still needs to happen. This just show how good the Dr. and staff at the clinic were. My blood pressure was a bit low after the procedure and for this I got an extra drip to pick it up.

When you get out of the surgery room a heart monitor is attached to you to check even more if everything is fine with you. When I woke up I noticed that one of the nurses was still sitting next to my bed monitoring the heart monitor. I then asked him what was going on and he told me that they picked up that I have an abnormal heart beat. The anesthesiologist then came to have a look and made sure I’m fine to go home, but said I have to go to my Dr. when I get back to South Africa. I really appreciated this as I would otherwise never have known. I visited my Dr. back in South Africa and my abnormal heart beat is not dangerous, but it is a very good thing to be aware off. Thanks to the Doctors at New Life!!

We had a lovely rest after our procedure and I still experienced no pain. The next day we went to the weekend market with Junette and Matuta. It was great fun!! All the shopping and different things to see were very interesting. We had lunch in the middle of the market at the most interesting place I have ever eaten. Thank you very much to Junette for taking us there, it was truly a great experience. And thank you very much to Matuta for our lovely presents. I have used my “necklace/purse” since I’ve been back in South Africa and it works perfectly, I love it!

It was then time to pack and fly back home with sadness that such a great trip was over.

I had so much fun with Junette and the girls. Going out for lunch or supper, laying around in the apartment, tanning at the swimming pool or doing some shopping, it all was great fun. I miss our little family.

Thank you again to everyone who was a part of this. To New Life for giving us the opportunity to donate and providing us with such a lovely clinic. To Junette who kept us safe, organized everything from A – Z for us, who always keep our spirits up, who makes sure we have everything we need and that we are happy and lastly just for being her. She is truly the best coordinator I have ever had. Thank you to the staff at the clinic for taking such good care of us before and after our procedures. I would definitely recommend New Life to any girl who wants to donate.