Become a donor and help save 11-year-old Tsakane’s life

“When I grow up, I want to be a gynaecologist. I want to help the women in my Roodepoort community,” exclaimed Tsakane, an 11-year-old Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) patient.

AML is defined as the abnormal growth of cells in the bone marrow, which then spreads into the blood and can affect other parts of the body such as the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, and central nervous system 1.

The bubbly little girl is fighting for her life, and despite her enthusiasm, this life-threatening illness has had a significant impact on her.

“Tsakane is struggling to accept her diagnosis, though she doesn’t talk about it openly,” said father Morris. Morris explains that every time she feels sick, she is immediately re-traumatised and fears the worst.

“While we try to reassure her that what she is feeling is not necessarily an indication of the worst and that things will be okay, she remains scared,” he explained.

Tsakane experienced flu-like symptoms at the beginning of 2021, as well as a change in her complexion, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Her parents initially thought that she was experiencing growing pains. When she had trouble keeping her food down, they started to worry. They knew they had to take her to the hospital as soon as she started to turn pale.

She received her diagnosis in January 2022, was admitted to the hospital, and started receiving treatment. The family was completely taken aback, especially considering that AML was a serious illness they had never heard of. The family was initially informed by the doctors that their loved one had a terminal illness, and as a result, they constantly feared receiving devastating news. The family sought counselling to help them accept the diagnosis, and when they learned that Tsakane might be able to receive a blood stem cell transplant, their hope was rekindled.

Due to the genetic requirements for finding a stem cell donor, Tsakane’s two siblings were both tested to see if they might be a match for her. Unfortunately, neither of them was a match.

“Patients like Tsakane need every one of us to stand united by hope against blood cancer because the number of blood cancer patients is rising and there aren’t enough blood stem cell donors in our nation”, explained the Head of Community Engagement and Communications at DKMS Africa, Palesa Mokomele.

“We have received overwhelmingly positive support for patients in the past and we hope to receive the same for this netball star so she can continue playing.”

Tsakane’s life was profoundly impacted by blood cancer, which prevented her from attending school for the entire 2022. She was thankfully able to come back in January 2023. Her school has been extremely understanding and helpful.

“Tsakane is thrilled to be back in school and it shows in her spirit,” her adoring father declared.

“She diligently completes all of her homework. We, as her family, and her teachers are confident that she will re-adjust well because she has always been a good student.”

“I ask God to grant us this miracle so that our daughter can have her transplant and lead a healthy, long life. Since many people like my daughter require our assistance, I kindly ask everyone to register as donors. Numerous other people pass away, but this need not be the case. Please register on the DKMS Africa website,” her father begged.

If you are between the ages of 17 and 55 and in generally good health, please register to become a blood stem cell donor at DKMS’s website. The registration process only takes a few minutes and is free.