DUNDEE KZN: Be someone’s tomorrow – Sonishka says
The chances of finding a match are one in 100,000, so the more people who join the registry, the more chances there are of being someone's tomorrow
Sonishka Singh has always wanted to make a difference and help those who don’t have the promise of tomorrow.
Thankfully, through the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR), she’s found a way!
The SABMR was founded in Cape Town in 1991 with a single mission: to save lives. Bone marrow is the tissue in the body where blood cells are produced. Blood cells are critical to a person’s immune system, as they carry oxygen, fight infection and prevent bleeding.
A transplant replaces a patient’s diseased bone marrow with healthy bone marrow stem cells so that the patient can start producing healthy blood.
“I’ve been searching for years for information with regards to becoming a donor, so I was so happy when I came across a post on Facebook where I finally found the site. To my surprise, it was very easy, with steps to follow on how to sign up,” Sonishka said.
Sonishka then received her box from the SABMR, with everything she needed to submit her buccal swab (cheek swab) and send it back off.
“My decision to become a donor was ‘why not?’! Why wouldn’t I want to help someone who needs my help? I had read the stats on the current state of bone marrow donors and noticed they were very low among the Indian population. I knew that if I decided to join the registry and encourage others to join too, then we were one step closer to assisting people who needed bone marrow transplants.”
Becoming a bone marrow donor is simple. The SABMR is always looking to increase its database, both in number as well as ethnic diversity.
The chances of finding a match are one in 100,000, so the more people who join the registry, the more chances there are of being someone’s tomorrow. People between the age of 16 and 45 can become donors.
To become a donor, simply go to https://sabmr.co.za/become-a-donor/ and fill in the form.
Should your application be successful, you will receive your buccal swab to return to the SABMR. The process is quick, easy and free, so helping to save a life is so simple.
“We cannot be selfish; our purpose on this earth is to help others,” Sonishka concluded.
