Trek test delivers life-saving twist

By Shaun Inguanzo
PREPARATIONS for a gruelling bike ride across Thailand have inadvertently saved the life of a Dandenong accountant who discovered he had a harmful blood disorder.
Roy Sanderson of RJ Sanderson and Associates is a former president of the Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce and has practices in both Dandenong and Berwick.
In March he announced he and three other people planned to raise $5000 each for Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance by collecting donations to complete a 400-kilometre bicycle ride across Thailand, including parts of the Thai-Burma Railway built by Australian prisoners of war during World War II.
Early this month Mr Sanderson was uncertain which travel vaccines he had received in the past, so went to have his blood tested.
But what he found was dramatically life changing – he had abnormally high levels of iron and was diagnosed with hemochromatosis, a blood disorder that produces high iron levels and leads to large, harmful deposits in vital organs.
If left undetected, the build-up can result in organ failure and premature death.
Mr Sanderson said the condition also explained an arthritic-like pain he suffered from.
While it is a symptom of hemochromatosis, Mr Sanderson had in the past attributed his morning soreness to playing hard on the ball during his younger days as a footballer.
Mr Sanderson must now be ‘bled’ twice a year for the rest of his life to reduce his iron level, but said he was relieved the disorder was detected.
“As long as it is managed, it is fine,” Mr Sanderson said.
“I wasn’t devastated, it was a funny feeling, finding out was almost a bit of a relief.”
Mr Sanderson said the condition is hereditary, and so his brothers and children were in the process of being tested.
The accountant-turned-bike rider is holding a fundraiser trivia night in August and is still hoping people will support the cause, either by attending or making a donation.
Mr Sanderson said airfares and personal expenses had been paid for out of the pockets of each participant, and that all donations would go directly to the Shrine.
Mr Sanderson and friends will embark on their ride across Thailand in November, with the Hellfire Pass leg coinciding with Remembrance Day on 11 November.
To donate or inquire about the trivia night on 25 August, phone Roy Sanderson on 9794 0010.