Stephen Steyn, one of the few bone marrow donors.
He donated on 09/07/2021.
I was born and raised in Johannesburg and now live on the East Rand. I work for a security company and collaborate closely with SAPS and emergency personnel. I am happily married with one son, and we’ve just celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary.
I can’t remember exactly when I registered with SABMR, as it was many years ago, but I found out about the SABMR while donating blood and decided to sign up online. I was very excited when I received the call that I was a possible match for a patient! I love helping people, and being given the opportunity to help someone in such a difficult position was amazing.
My family was very supportive about my donation. They are religious and believe that helping others is not just a duty but a privilege. Some of my co-workers thought I was crazy at first, but once they learned more about the process, they became more accepting.
Part of the experience was going for a lot of blood tests and a consultation with a doctor, but none of it was uncomfortable or painful. I didn’t receive any injections before the donation (to mobilise my stem cells), as I donated bone marrow through surgery, not via peripheral blood stem cell donation. I had a very positive experience. I went into the hospital, was put under general anaesthesia, and woke up after the surgery with a bit of soreness in my lower back at the extraction site but overall felt fine. It was just two small incisions and easy to ignore. I was back at work two days later and felt fine. After the donation my life has continued as normal, but I still have fond memories of being able to help someone, and I feel incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity. My experience with the SABMR was positive. The staff was very helpful and professional. I didn’t have to worry about anything, and I felt very well taken care of throughout the entire process. A last few words… I truly believe that if we have the ability to help others, we have the duty to do so. It’s such a small price to pay to make a massive difference in someone else’s life.