Registering at a company donor drive three years ago changed the course of Capetonian, Jacques Conradie’s life.

Three years later he was matched with a patient – an act that saved a life.

“The company that I work for is very family-orientated, so whenever one of us are in need, we rally together and try to help in whatever way we can. At the donor drive, nearly all our staff registered in aid of finding our dear friend and colleague a match.”

Conradie lost his father to cancer, and so, the decision to become a bone marrow stem cell donor, was a very personal one.

“If anyone has lost a family member or friend to a blood disorder, you wouldn’t hesitate to help. Signing up to the registry, is something everyone should consider – it’s life-changing knowing that you were able to save someone’s life.

“While I was anxious about the actual bone marrow stem cell donation or ‘harvesting’ as it is referred to, it was relatively painless and was over within a few hours. The SABMR and nursing staff were so helpful and attentive to my needs that it ended up being a wonderful experience – one which I often share when given the opportunity.”

Conradie donated his bone marrow stem cells in Cape Town last year to a patient suffering from Aplastic Anaemia . While he is no fan of hospitals and needles, he knew that saving someone’s life far outweighed his fears.

“If you consider the impact that your decision to become a donor will have, regardless of the tests and screenings you have to go through, it’s absolutely worth it,” he encourages.

Conradie has put out a plea to anyone who is eligible to sign up to the SABMR.

“There are no words to explain the miracle of bone marrow stem cell donation and the ripple effect it can have on your life and the lives of others.

“It’s not just the ill patient you are saving who is touched by your act, but all the people who love them too. It’s a small act of kindness that creates such meaningful connections between people and one that extends across time. It’s something that I’ll cherish forever.”

While passing through the shops in Durban one day, Mfundo Ngwenya, was prompted to sign up to the SABMR at a donor drive – never thinking that he’d ever end up being someone’s match.

Eleven years later, this spur-of-the-moment decision, rang true.

The 30-year-old gym technician and rugby coach says it was a no-brainer to sign up as a bone marrow stem cell donor as he was already a registered organ donor. “While others think twice about it, organ and stem cell donation has just always made sense to me,” he says.

Ngwenya got that all-important call from the SABMR in May 2021, and once a series of tests confirmed he was a 100% match, he jumped at the opportunity to donate.

Even though the initial date for the donation had to be postponed due to the patient suffering a setback and Ngwenya having had to recover from a sporting injury, the happy day finally arrived at the end of last year.

As a result of the five-day course of Neuprogen injections to boost his stem cells, he was unable to train, but he recognised it as a small sacrifice given what the patient was going through.

Ngwenya has always been the helpful kind. “It is in my nature to extend a helping hand wherever I go – whether through sport or uplifting communities. To make a difference in someone else’s life, is just the best feeling in the world.”

He puts down the shortage of black bone marrow stem cell donors to misinformation.

“When I signed up as an organ donor and then again as a bone marrow stem cell donor, I sat my family down on each occasion to explain why I made the decision and what it entailed to allay any fears they had. It all boils down to education and awareness.

“Thankfully, the younger generation is more open to organ/bone marrow stem cell donation than our elders, and yet a simple conversation to help them understand can go a long way in changing perceptions.”

Should he be called upon again, he would donate in a heartbeat, he says.

“The gift of life is priceless and if I can give someone another shot at living, it’s only a privilege.”

When Stellenbosch student Nicola Kassier was phoned to be a bone marrow donor for a South African in need, it gave her the chance to answer another call, one she’d heard from her own heart for many years: to help individuals on cancer journeys. 

For as long as she can recall, Nicola Kassier has had a heart for cancer patients. She remembers in Grade 12 hoping that someday she’d have the opportunity to make a significant impact in the life of someone battling cancer. She didn’t realise then that just a few years later, she’d have that chance—and save a life in the process. 

In 2008, Nicola was a first-year student at the University of Stellenbosch when she came across a bone marrow registration event being held on campus. She had heard about bone marrow before; in fact, she’d even been in contact with the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) earlier in the year, when she heard about a young girl named Suzie in need of a transplant and phoned the Registry to say she was willing to help. The SABMR told her that while she likely wouldn’t be a match for Suzie, she could begin the process of registering to be a bone marrow donor, and someday she may be a match for another patient in need.

So when she saw the campus registration drive, she jumped on the opportunity to sign up. At the time, the bone marrow donor registration process included a blood sample, so Nicola gave a vial of blood and completed a short health questionnaire. Donors registering today don’t have to give vials of blood; rather, they just need to complete a simple, painless cheek swab. 

Unfortunately, the young girl that Nicola had phoned for didn’t find a donor in time and did not survive. But, thanks to Suzie, another South African patient did—and that donor was Nicola. Just over a year after she registered, the Registry contacted Nicola to say she was a potential match for a different South African patient in need, this time a man just a few years older than herself. Further tests confirmed that she was a perfect match.

In February 2010, at the age of just 20 years old, Nicola donated her bone marrow stem cells for her miracle match. The SABMR flew her mom to Cape Town to be by her side during the procedure, which occurred at Constantiaberg Medi-Clinic Hospital.

Leading up to her donation, Nicola was nervous but determined to move forward. “I was very anxious but I wanted to do it anyways,” she says. “I didn’t know much about it, but I knew that I wanted to do it, that it was the right thing to do.” In those days prior, Nicola received the set of injections given to donors to encourage their bodies to produce surplus bone marrow stem cells. 

Nicola was awake and chatting during her donation, which lasted eight hours. And although the procedure made her slightly nauseous, “I still ate all the chocolate pudding they gave me!” she jokes.

Because the patient she was donating for was slightly larger than herself, Nicola ended up needing to donate two days in a row to ensure enough stem cells were collected to transplant the patient. Nicola was exhausted when the donation was over, but in looking back, she refers to it as an “amazing and emotional experience.”

“I cried and laughed a lot,” she remembers. “I really felt connected emotionally to the man I was donating for. It was knowing that he was getting chemotherapy to receive my cells, and that he was really suffering, all for the chance of getting well, for the chance that my cells might save him. It was a giving of myself to help this person.”

Nicola later found out that the man she had donated for had been sick for many years, waiting for a donor to be found. 

Now 31, Nicola is a counselor, helping others navigate their own emotional journeys. And she still has a heart for cancer patients: when a friend was diagnosed with breast cancer (who has since recovered), Nicola joined her in passing out care package to other cancer patients at a Pretoria hospital. In October 2019, Nicola and her husband moved to Calgary, Canada, where she says they’ve met many South Africans.

To her friends and family considering registering to be bone marrow donors, Nicola urges them to follow their heart, just like she did. “If it’s in your heart to donate, do it,” she says. Because if you do, you may just save a life.

Eight years ago, 20-year-old Reabetswe Khumbane jumped on the opportunity to help save a sick child in need of a bone marrow transplant. Below, Reabetswe addresses why it’s so important for all Black South Africans to register as bone marrow donors—and what’s stopping them from doing so.

When 20-year-old Reabetswe Khumbane was a student at the University of the Witwatersrand, he visited the campus blood drive to give his regular blood donation. That’s when he came across the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) registration tent and learned what it meant to be a bone marrow donor. 

“Right away, I knew it is something I had to do,” Reabetswe says. He immediately completed the donor registration process, eager to get his name on the Registry in hopes of saving a life someday. It wouldn’t be long before he got that chance—and took it.

While most registered donors never get the call to donate, and the ones that do typically get the call many years after registering, the SABMR phoned Reabetswe within just a few months to notify him that he was a potential match for a young child in need of a bone marrow transplant. He agreed to a round of blood tests, which confirmed he was a perfect match for the child.

Less than one year after registering, Reabetswe completed his donation at Netcare’s Garden City Clinic. His sister and a close friend were by his side throughout the six-hour process. While he was nervous at first, Reabetswe says, he quickly realised “there was absolutely nothing to be afraid of. It was a very straightforward procedure and the SABMR made sure everything was taken care of.”

Reabetswe says the SABMR staff were “friendly, patient and extremely supportive”, even staying by his bedside throughout the donation to ensure he was comfortable and had everything he needed. “It showed me how much the SABMR cares about their donors, not just as a donor but also as a person,” he remembers. Since his donation, Reabetswe says the SABMR team calls often to check in and say hello. 

Reabetswe says he felt normal almost right away after his donation, despite being a bit tired. He refrained from the gym for a few days per his doctor’s recommendations, but less than a week after his donation, he felt good as new. 

When asked how he feels about being a donor, Reabetswe says he is proud and grateful. “Being a donor is something I hold very dear to my heart and will cherish for the rest of my life,” he explains. “One of the mottos in my life is to try to make a difference in the lives of all those that you come across. Being able to improve someone`s quality of life is a priceless and sacred gift.”

Unfortunately, Reabetswe says, many Black South Africans do not register to be bone marrow donors. He believes this is due to a lack of education about bone marrow, misconceptions about what it means to be a donor, as well as a general mistrust of Western medicine. “Historically,” he explains, “procedures such as blood and bone marrow donations have been discouraged due to beliefs that these procedures remove things from the body. There is a misunderstanding that donors are losing a part of themselves. When you are not informed about something, you often tend to come up with your own theories, which leads to misinformation being spread.”

Thankfully, Reabetswe believes that misinformation can be remedied through dialogue, so he’s taking every opportunity he can get to share his story with friends and family. He explains, “The Black South African culture is very big on the concepts of Ubuntu and community building, and if we can explain the lifesaving potential that registering has for people in our community, that will help motivate people to sign up.”

Reabetswe says that, unlike older generations, young Black South Africans are very open-minded and would likely register if they knew how important it was. “Things are changing and they have been for a while,” he explains. “You are seeing a lot of younger Black South Africans in spaces and occupations which the older generation are not seen in. You just need to look at the number of young Black South Africans who are becoming regular blood donors to see the change in mentality.”

This is great news, because the SABMR is specifically seeking donors of colour between the ages of 16 and 45. Donors are usually found within the patient’s ethnic group, and because Black South Africans make up a majority of the South African demographic, it’s of critical importance that the Registry is reflective of that so that all patients in need have an equal shot at finding a donor. Because without enough people of colour registered, Black and Coloured South Africans may not find a match in time—and may not survive.

“By increasing the number of Black South Africans who register, we can increase the potential to help Black patients desperately in need,” Reabetswe says.

Ready to register?

All it takes to register is a simple cheek swab, plus the completion of an online health history questionnaire. Cheek swabs can be done at one of the SABMR’s depot partners like Intercare or Pathcare, or in an at-home kit couriered to you free of charge. Many blood donation drives also offer the option to register. For more information, check out the SABMR’s website at www.sabmr.co.za, call (021) 447-8638 or email donors@sabmr.co.za.

KuSibongile Jimlongo, 25, umfundi owenza unyaka wokugqibela kwezomthetho kwiYunivesithi yaseNtshona Kapa, ukunikela ngomongo ‘ibiliwonga’

USibo waba nomdla wokunikela ngegazi ngelixa wayefunda kwiSikolo i-Rhenish Girls’ High eStellenbosch, njengoko amaphulo okunikela ayeqhutywa ePaul Roos Gymnasium ekwelinye icala lendlela. Ukusuka ngo-2013, ebengumnikeli ngegazi othe rhoqo. ‘Xa ngaba ndisempilweni yaye ndiyakwazi ukunikela ngegazi, yeyona nto incinane ndinokuyenza leyo. Ndingaba ndicingela mna ndodwa xa ndinganikeli!’ utsho njalo. 

Ekuqaleni kuka-2017, umntu ogaya abantu abanokunikela ngomongo wathetha noSibo ngelixa wayenikela ngegazi kwi-campus e-UWC. ‘Wandicacisela ukuba kuthetha ntoni ukunikela ngomongo, wathi umntu ofanelekayo kwi-stem-cell kufuneka afane ncakasana naloo mntu oza kuncedwa, watsho nokuba ubuhlanga buyinxalenye enkulu. Ingaba ndingakhe ndicinge ngokunikela?’ Umntu onikela ngomongo ngokuqhelekileyo ufumaneka phakathi kolo hlangaa lwesigulane, yaye eMzantsi Afrika bafuneka kakhulu abanikeli abamnyama ukuze kusindiswe izigulane ezine-leukaemia nezinye izifo zegazi. USibo wabhalisa.

Into eyammangalisayo kukuba ngoJanuwari 2018 wafowunelwa ngu-SABMR bembuza ukuba angakulungela na ukuba enziwe ezinye iimvavanyo zegazi njengoko kusenokwenzeka ukuba ungumntu ofanelekayo ukunceda isigulane esithile. Emva kothotho lweemvavanyo ezathi zenziwa kwafika enye ifowuni: ngenene ungumntu ofaneleke ngokugqibeleleyo. 

Yintoni bethu emenza azixakekise ngolu hlobo azivise nentlungu ekungenzeka ihamba nale nto, abantu abambalwa abaziyo babuza. ‘Kubandakanyeke izinto ezibalulekileyo apha,’ utsho njalo. Le nto ayikho malunga nawe; imalunga nomnye umntu. Usindisa ubomi ukuze omnye umntu akwazi ukwenza izinto anombono wokuzenza.’ Into yokuba eza kunikela wayibona njengethuba elikhulu lokufundisa abanye. 

Ukunikela kukaSibo kwakucwangciselwe ukuba kwenziwe ngaphambi kokuba abhale iimviwo, ngoSeptemba 2018. Yonke imihla kangange entsuku ezine ngaphambi koku, watofwa nge-Neupogen (wakhetha ukuzitofa ngokwakhe) ukuze kuvuselelwe amathambo akhe avelise ii-stem cell ezithe chatha. Ngentsasa yosuku lokunikela, yena neetshomi zakhe ezimbini bahamba ngemoto besiya kwiSibhedlele i-Netcare Kuilsriver, apho le nkqubo yayisenziwa phantsi kweliso labasebenzi besibhedlele abanobubele, ilungu labasebenzi bakwa-SABMR kwakunye nonontlalo-ntle. ‘Kwathatha into enokuba ziiyure ezintandathu. Omnye weetshomi zam wayethabatheke njengam yile nkqubo; sikhe sabukela kakhulu i-Grey’s Anatomy!’ qhuzu qhuzu uSibo ehleka. Ukusuka kwityhubhu efakwe kumthambo osethangeni lakhe, igazi lakhe lathunyelwa kumatshini othile apho ii-stem cell zazisohlulwa egazini; elinye ke igazi lakhe labuyiselwa kwakuye. 

‘Emva koko zesuka zathi waxa iinyembezi, xa ndicinga ngento yokuba ngoku ezi stem cell ziza kuya kuloo mntu uzidingayo. Ndibothulel’ umnqwazi abakwa-SABMR: akukho nto bangayenziyo ukuqinisekisa ukuba yonke into ihamba ngokutyibilikayo.’ Zingaphelanga neentsuku ezintathu inxetyana kwindawo ebekungena kuyo inaliti netyhubhu yokuhambisa igazi ukuya kumatshini wokuhluza iiseli beselipholile. ‘Yonke into yabuyela esiqhelweni. Ndandingenaziphumo zingalindelekanga. La ibingamava okwenene,’ utsho njalo. 

Ekuphela kwento ayaziyo uSibo ngomntu ofumene umongo wakhe kukuba isigulane ngumntwana waseMzantsi Afrika. ‘Yinto enkulu le kum ukusindisa ubomi bomntwana,’ utsho njalo. Oku kunikela kwazichukumisa ngokukodwa iintliziyo kusapho lwakuloSibo, njengoko udadobomakhulu wakhe ebesandul’ ukubashiya ngenxa ye-leukaemia ngaphambi nje kokunikela kwakhe. ‘Ndicinga ukuba yenye yezona zinto zinkulu ndakhe ndazenza. Esi sesinye sezona zenzo zincomekayo zobuntu,’ utsho njalo. ‘Xa ngaba ndisempilweni yaye ndiyakwazi ukunika omnye umntu ithuba lokuphila ubomi bakhe ngokupheleleyo, liwonga elikhulu nyhani elo!’