My name is Mioné Malan – I was born and raised in Sasolburg, matriculated in 2021 and started studying to become a registered nurse through the NWU in Potchefstroom. My mom and dad raised me and my two younger sisters to become strong, independent and faithful women. My boyfriend and I have been in a relationship for close to 8 years (started in 2017) – he is my rock and my best friend; he stood by me through all my hardships.
My journey started around June of 2019, at the time I was 15 years old and in grade 10. At the end of the 2nd term while we were busy writing exams, I developed some flu symptoms. It started with a fever, cough, sore throat. On Wednesday, the 12th of July, I started feeling much worse – I was notably pale (as white as a sheet), I develop a terrible cold sore on my tongue, and I coughed up thick sputum and blood. After attempting some over the counter medication for a couple of days, we went straight to the doctors’ rooms on Friday.
The initial diagnosis was swine flu, and I started treatment for that while waiting for the test results. Our doctor phoned my mom the following week and called us back for more blood tests, as he had noticed that my platelets, white cell count, and HB were extremely low. As there were no improvements, they did more blood tests to eliminate various viruses which all came back negative. The last test they did was a cytometry test that detects cancer cells – which came back positive. The doctor phoned us immediately and explained that there was a bed already booked for me in Pretoria East Netcare hospital on Monday the 24h of June. Earlier in the year, I started experiencing some bone pain, but we ultimately wrote it of as growths spurts but knowing what we know now, it was a symptom.
While we were waiting for the blood tests to come back, our house doctor let us know each time a test came back negative. When the window got smaller and smaller, he told us about the possibility of it being cancerous. At first, I was extremely scared, and I thought that it was very “unfair”. My mom and I talked about the possibility, we cried together, and she asked me, “How do you eat an elephant? – stukkie vir stukkie.” which ultimately became our biggest motivation through it all.
I did not know it at the time, but my oncologist told my parents that I had a prognosis of 8% with the complicated diagnosis that I had. Leukaemia has two strands: myeloid and lymphoid, and the type that I had contains both, making it extremely rare – Acute Biphenotypic Leukemia (ABL).
We started with chemotherapy immediately. I had two rounds of chemo but had to stay in hospital for about a month at a time and then got to go home for about a week before the next chemo. I also had to get chemo in my spinal cord via lumbar punctures. We knew from the start that I would need a stem cell transplant for which you need to be in remission to be able to receive it. We started looking for a donor immediately – they tested my siblings and when they weren’t a match, they started looking through the system. I had 5 different types of chemotherapy before we received the wonderful news that I was in remission on the 4th of November 2019, an international stem cell donor was confirmed by the end of November 2019.
When we found out that a donor became available, we were tremendously overwhelmed with gratefulness and thankfulness by the thought that a young male from Germany made the life-saving decision to donate his stem cells. It sounds much more complicated than it is – it is not an operation like when donating a kidney. The donor would simply get a few injections to help his body mass produce stem cells before they retrieve it by a process similar to donating blood. Your blood moves through a machine that collects all the stem cells and then puts the blood back in your body. Before I could receive the stem cells, I had to get full body radiation and a very intense chemo that kills all the cells in your body. The stem cell transplant itself is like a blood transfusion, but much more sterile. My transplant was done on the 15th of January 2020.
After I got discharged from the hospital, I had to get weekly follow ups for 6 weeks, which turned into monthly for 6 months and then every 6 months until 5 years post-transplant. During chemo and after my transplant I had to wear a mask whenever I go out as you do not have any immune system. I also had to get most of my childhood immunisations again 2 years after the transplant.
We have contacted my donor after protocol has been followed and I am waiting to hear from him. But if by any chance he gets to read this: I am extremely grateful toward you for your selfless decision at such a young age to give a total stranger, the opportunity at a second chance of life. Thank you for the chance to experience more smiles, love, happiness, grace, joy and opportunities than I would have without your gracious decision to donate. I do not have the words to thank you enough!
If you are willing and able to register as a donor, please, please do so. You may give someone the opportunity at a second chance in life that they may not have without you. You are making a life-saving decision!