Family Medicine specialist given a second chance at life
Last year, Professor Andrew Ross, UKZN's family medicine specialist, received devastating news that he was diagnosed with aggressive Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), a serious condition that affects the bone marrow and blood cells. At the time, he was given three months to live, and thanks to a stem cell donor, Ross is thriving and on his way to making a full recovery.
IN August 2024, the College of Health Sciences (CHS) partnered with DKMS to recruit 1000 stem cell donors. Many UKZN staff and students attended the launch of the campaign at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine campus and provided saliva swabs for testing.
The process then unfolded and blood tests were conducted on those who tested positive as a possible stem cell donor. After analysing the bloods, anyone then identified as a matching donor, would be contacted by DKMS Africa’s medical team. Soon after the launch, DKMS were able to match a suitable stem cell donor (based in the UK) with Professor Andrew Ross in August 2024.
Also read: Lack of blood stem cell donors puts SA leukaemia patients’ rights in jeopardy
An emotional Ross remarked, “I was blessed to receive a stem cell transplant on December 11, 2024 and am now 202 days post-transplant. There were a few challenges along the way – some bleeding from around the pica line as my platelets were not functional, sepsis when my white cell count was 0 – but on the whole, things went really well.
“I am forever grateful to God for this life-saving gift, giving me a second chance of life. I could not have managed this journey without my wife who was my 24-hour-a-day caregiver for four months and our sons and daughter-in-law who were able to be in Pretoria with us,” said Ross.
Also read: Cancer survivor supports drive for stem cell donors
Against all odds, Ross overcame his health challenges and made a triumphant return to work on July 1 and will continue to be involved in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, research supervision, student exams and marking examinations.
DKMS Africa is an NPO dedicated to fighting blood cancer and blood disorders by giving patients a second chance at life. With a mission rooted in hope and driven by science, they work to build an ethnically diverse registry of blood stem cell donors, increase public awareness, and support patients throughout their treatment journey.
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