Finding a matching blood stem cell donor is key to saving a person's life battling blood cancer. Picture by LuAnn Hunt /Unsplash
When Cape Town construction worker Jean registered as a stem cell donor, he never imagined he'd be the one-in-100 000 match that would give someone a second chance at life.
For Jean, life was simple yet fulfilling - a steady job, weekends spent with friends, good food, and karaoke. But in 2021, the seemingly small decision to register as a stem cell donor changed everything.
“When I got the email from DKMS Africa saying I was a match for a blood cancer patient in need of a stem cell transplant, I was in shock but also overwhelmed with emotion. I didn’t hesitate for one second to say yes,” Jean said.
Being a match is rare, with the odds being as low as one in 100 000.
“It’s an incredible feeling knowing you have the chance to save someone’s life,” he said. “I knew this was something I had to do.”
Jean underwent a Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) donation, a process where stem cells are collected from the bloodstream.
“It’s similar to giving blood. A needle is inserted into one arm to draw blood, which passes through a machine to separate the stem cells. The remaining blood is returned through the other arm. It’s painless, and you’re awake the entire time.”
After collection, his stem cells were carefully transported to the hospital where the recipient was waiting for their second chance at life.
Once infused into the patient’s bloodstream, the stem cells travelled to their bone marrow, beginning the process of producing healthy blood cells.
Jean vividly remembers seeing his stem cells for the first time.
“It was like holding life itself in your hands. You can’t describe the feeling. It was humbling and overwhelming to realise that something so small could mean everything to someone else.”
“We often don’t realise how blessed we are with our health until we give a piece of it to someone else. It was humbling to be part of something so meaningful.”
He encouraged others to also become stem cell donors. “If you’ve ever thought about becoming a donor, now is the time. You won’t regret it. Register to be a stem cell donor – you could be the one to save a life.”
Register at https://www.dkms-africa.org/register-now
Cape Times
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