Blood Stem Cell Donor Encourages Others to Follow Suit

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Master of Commerce student Mr Kwazinkosi Mhlongo, who has become a blood stem cell donor, says he was driven to do so after reading about a patient in desperate need.

Mhlongo registered to be a first-time donor through DKMS, a blood stem cell registry operating in eight different countries, including South Africa.

Always keen to help others, he grew up in KwaMaphumulo in rural KwaZulu-Natal. ‘As the head boy of my school I was tasked with being at the forefront of helping others,’ he said. ‘Currently, I run a non-profit organisation that equips artists to earn a living through their craft.’

With dreams of becoming a medical doctor and assisting others, Mhlongo said he was disappointed when he was not accepted into the MBChB programme at UKZN, but knew he would make his mark in other ways. Twelve years later, he says he has done just that by becoming a blood stem cell donor.

Mhlongo, who did research and reached out to medical practitioners for advice prior to becoming a donor, said the process of registering involved an online application, and a tissue swab in the mouth to get his unique human leukocyte antigens (HLA) - which are proteins or markers on most cells in your body. A few weeks later, he was contacted as a match for a patient in need and flown to Pretoria with all expenses paid for the donation process.

He admitted to being terrified during the procedure, but said he found comfort in knowing he had given someone else a chance to live and spend time with their families and loved ones.

Encouraging others to become donors, Mhlongo said: ‘I strongly believe that together, doing what we can, our society can become a better place to live in. We all deserve an enhanced quality of life and it’s not solely the responsibility of the government to provide it as it’s a shared responsibility. Society is already wounded and heavily bleeding from societal ills so we need to show kindness to everyone.

‘Let’s talk less and do more…become a blood stem cell donor today because it’s the right thing to do.’

Words: Hlengiwe Khwela

Photograph: Supplied