With only six to fifteen months left to live, Andrew, a medical professional and family man from KwaZulu Natal was recently diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS). As he fights for a second chance at life, he is dedicating himself to raising awareness about the transformative power of stem cell transplants.
For years, he had been a regular blood donor. However, when Andrew went to donate blood in March, his world was turned upside down. The routine finger prick revealed his haemoglobin levels were alarmingly low. Worried about this unexpected result, he underwent a full blood count, which set off a cascade of tests. Ultimately, a bone marrow biopsy confirmed his worst fears: he had high-risk MDS – a type of rare blood cancer that affects normal blood cell production in the bone marrow.
With a stem cell transplant from a matching donor being his only chance at survival, the doctors have made it clear that without prompt treatment, his life expectancy would be extremely short.
The diagnosis has been devastating for Andrew and his family. “Hearing that kind of news is something you can never prepare for,” he shared, his voice filled with emotion. “When you’re told how limited your time might be, it’s overwhelming. But I’ve decided to turn my story into a mission to spread awareness about the lifesaving impact of a stem cell transplant. Even if it doesn’t save me, it might save someone else.”
The beloved University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) lecturer’s campaign has inspired his students to amplify his plea on their own social media pages and this is paying off with over 600 people registering as stem cell donors in the hopes of saving his life.
Palesa Mokomele, Head of Community Engagement and Communications at DKMS Africa, applauds Andrew’s selflessness, even in the face of such a distressing prognosis. “Having dedicated his life to caring for others, he urgently needs someone to help him. I call on South Africans between the ages of 17 and 55 who are in good health to register as stem cell donors – you could help save his life.”
Register to help Andrew beat blood cancer at https://www.dkms-africa.org/register-now.
For more information, contact DKMS Africa on 0800 12 10 82.
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About DKMS
DKMS is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the fight against blood cancer. It was founded in Germany in 1991 by Dr. Peter Harf and DKMS together with the organization’s over 1,200 employees and has since relentlessly pursued the aim of giving as many patients as possible a second chance at life. With over 12 million registered donors, DKMS has succeeded in doing this more than 115,000 times to date by providing blood stem cell donations to those in need. This accomplishment has led to DKMS becoming the global leader in the facilitation of unrelated blood stem cell transplants. The organization has offices in Germany, the US, Poland, the UK, Chile, and South Africa. In India, DKMS has founded the joint venture DKMS-BMST together with the Bangalore Medical Services Trust. International expansion and collaboration are key to helping patients worldwide because like the organization itself, blood cancer knows no borders.
DKMS is also heavily involved in the fields of medicine and science, with its own research unit focused on continually improving the survival and recovery rate of patients. In its high-performance laboratory, the DKMS Life Science Lab, the organization sets worldwide standards in the typing of potential blood stem cell donors.
For more information, contact DKMS Africa on 0800 12 10 82.
The post Doctor Turns Personal Blood Cancer Battle into Stem Cell Donor Registration Drive appeared first on The Home Of Great South African News.
With only six to fifteen months left to live, Andrew, a medical professional and family man from KwaZulu Natal was recently diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)
The post Doctor Turns Personal Blood Cancer Battle into Stem Cell Donor Registration Drive appeared first on The Home Of Great South African News. Read More
