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!’
