Diepkloof cancer patient receives a special visit

DKMS Africa in partnership with Miss South Africa 2020, Shudufhadzo Musida visited Diepkloof to surprise 11-year-old Acute Myeloid Leukaemia patient, Tsakane Mthini on March 11.

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Mthini was thrilled to receive a special visit from one of the women she admire and the visit was also a call to renew her strength to fight against the cancer.

Acute Myeloid Leukaemia refers to a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow with excess immature white blood cells.

This showed first-hand the life of a patient living with cancer, but more importantly, it helped to renew Mthini’s fight against blood cancer.

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Mthini was moved by meeting and spending the day with former Miss South Africa, Musida. Her father, Morris expressed heartfelt gratitude to the team for arranging the day and said they feel blessed to witness the day.

“Tsakane felt restored with hope to find a donor match after the day spent with Musida.

“We are very grateful for this because we need her as positive as possible we under this journey, and for this we are forever grateful,” he said.

In early 2021, Tsakane’s parents noticed her initial symptoms and they took serious notice when she started losing her appetite and couldn’t keep her food down.

By the time Tsakane became pale the family knew they had to take her to the hospital.

It was then in January 2022, she was admitted to the hospital and began her treatment, Tsakane is currently in need of a blood stem cell transplant and needs to find a donor match.

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Shudu was moved by the family and sense of community around Tsakane and said, “I also felt an urgent need for us to rally together to register to become stem cell donors with DKMS Africa.

“We need empathy and action to bring awareness to the reality of blood cancer patients because we have the power to do something. The process is non-invasive and costs nothing but could change someone’s life.”

Blood stem cell registry and donor centre, DKMS Africa is urging South Africans to sign up and register for patients such as Tsakane.

Residents between the ages of 17 and 55 and in general good health are urged to register via www.dkms-africa.org website to help save a life, the process is completely free, quick and simple.