Sixoxa noNonhlanhla Mtshali: Umhlengikazi kanye nomuntu owathola umnkantsha
UNonhlanhla “Noni” Mtshali ungumhlengikazi waseFlorida, eGoli. Iminyaka eminingi, uNoni wathola ukufakelwa igazi okuningi, ama-gastroscopy, kanye nama-colonoscopy nokwakuyimizamo yokuhlonza isifo segazi esasingakatholakali ukuthi siyini. Kwabesifazane, amazinga afanele e-haemoglobin, akala inani lamangqamuzana (cells) egazi abomvu, aphakathi kuka-12.0 kanye no-15.5. Isilinganiso sikaNoni sasingu-4. Kodwa odokotela babengatholi ukuthi kwakungani lokhu.
Ngo-2016, kwatholakala ukuthi uNoni une-Aplastic Anaemia, isifo se-autoimmune esasichaza ukuthi umzimba wakhe wawuhluleka ukukhiqiza inani elanele lamangqamuzana egazi. Kwakucacile ukuthi uNoni wayedinga ukufakelwa umnkantsha, ngakho-ke udokotela wathinta i-SABMR. Ngemva kwenyanga, owayezomnikelela ngomnkantsha watholakala eBrazil. UNoni wafakelwa umnkantsha ngo-2017 nokwelapha isifo sakhe.
“Konke kwahamba kahle kusukela ngaleso sikhathi,” kusho uNoni. “Ukufakelwa umnkantsha sekungenzele okuningi. Kubuyisele ukuzethemba kwami. Kungenze ngaba nezinto engiziphokophelayo. Ngashada ngonyaka owalandela lowo, kwakuyisikhathi esihle sokuthokoza ngemva kwakho konke okwakungehlele. Ukufakelwa umnkantsha kwanginika ithuba lesibili lokuphila.” UNoni kanye nomyeni wakhe sebezama ukuthola izingane.
NgokukaNoni, ukungabikho kolwazi olumayelana nomnkantsha eNingizimu Afrika kuyinkinga enkulu. “Kunabantu abaningi abayishaya indiva le ndaba noma ababona sengathi ayibathinti bona noma imindeni yabo. Asinikwa izithangami ezanele zokukhuluma ngayo nomphakathi sithi, ‘Nansi into eyenzekayo, futhi ibucayi kakhulu.’”
UNoni wathi lokhu kunomthelela kakhulu kubantu Abamnyama baseNingizimu Afrika. Kunenani elincanne kakhulu labanikelayo abamnyama kunesibalo sabanikelayo abaku-Registry: balinganiselwa ku-8,000 enanini eliphelele labanikelayo abayi-73,000 ababhalisiwe. Onikelayo uvamise ukutholakala eqoqweni lohlanga elifana nelesiguli, ngakho-ke sidinga kakhulu abanikelayo abamnyama. Uma ngikhuluma ngqo ngamaZulu, kuchaza uNoni, “Abantu asebethe ukukhula abayizwa kahle indaba yobuchwepheshe obusha kanye nolwazi olusha olutholakalayo. Bakhokhelwa ekwelashweni kwezendabuko, futhi isikhathi esiningi abakholelwa ezifweni eziphathelene nofuzo noma izinto ezifana nalezo. Bazizwa kahle ngalokho abakwaziyo.”
UNoni waphawula ukuthi izinto ziyashintsha, kodwa lokhu akwenzeki ngokushesha ngokwanele. “Ezokwelapha seziqhamuke nezinguquko. Sesisesikhathini esisha sezinsiza zezokwelapha, odokotela, izibhedlela – kanti-ke isizukulwane esesithe ukukhula sithatha isikhathi ukuhambisana nalokho. Isizukulwane esisesincane siyemukela ukuhambisana nesimo, kodwa okwamanje asitholi ulwazi olwanele olumayelana nomnkantsha.”
Kukhona futhi imibono ukuqonda okungelona iqiniso ngokuphathelene nenqubo yokunikela. NgokukaNoni, “Ngesikhathi ngichazela abangani kanye nomndeni wami mayelana nenqubo, bathi, ‘Ufuna ukunikezwa uketshezi olungaphakathi kwamathambo ami? Kuzokwenzakalani uma ngingasasele nalutho ngemva kwalokho?’ Ngase ngiphendula ngokuthi, ‘Aniqondi! Nihlala nikhiqiza umnkantsha; umnkantsha wenu uphinde wakheke futhi.’”
Ujwayele ukuxoxa ngalokho okwenzeke kuye neziguli e-Lancet Laboratory, lapho asebenza khona njengomhlengikazi. “Ngikhuluma neziguli eziningi ngendlela engingakwazi ngayo mayelana nomnkantsha. Ngifuna ukufakaza ngalokho okwenzeke kimi. Ngifuna zazi ukuthi kungenzeka uthole ithuba lesibili.”
Kusukela ekufakelweni kwakhe umnkantsha, uNoni uthe, ukholelwa ekutheni akukho okungenzeki. “Ngibonga usuku ngalunye engilutholayo. Kuhlale kukhona isisombululo endaweni ethile, esami ngasithola e-SABMR. Baxhumanisa abantu abafuna impilo kanye nalabo abayinikezayo.”
