Renowned businesswoman and philanthropist, Daphne Mashile-Nkosi, has led a public awareness campaign aimed at basic education around the debilitating lack of stem cell and blood donation in South Africa.
The event was organized by the Stanley & Daphne Nkosi Foundation (SDNF) and actively supported by the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, SA National Blood Service (SANBS), DKMS Africa and the SA Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR).
Mashile-Nkosi’s daughter, Zakithi Nkosi, affectionately known as Zaza, was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive blood disorder medically described as Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLM) shortly after her 19th birthday in June 2016. She passed on six months later after the family could find no stem cell match for her.
Spokesperson for the SDNF, Paul Phume, said: “The family’s struggle to find a stem cell match for Zaza is the driving force behind this awareness campaign. We are pleased to see so many people showing interest in our campaign to mass registration.”
In SA, more than 7,300 people are diagnosed with blood cancer annually. Statistics reveal thatroughly4000 people die from blood cancer each year in SA. Blood cancers account for 33% of childhood cancers, affecting an estimated 5,000 children nation-wide, according available data.
“These aren’t just numbers. They are families, futures, and lives that could be saved with timely access to matching donors especially donors of African descent, who remain critically under-represented on global registries,” Mashile-Nkosi said.
Mashile-Nkosi used the ordeal of losing a child by dedicating significant time and resources to the public awareness about the need for stem cell and blood donation. In 2019, she refurbished deteriorating haematology section of the Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital with large sums of money in honour and memory of her Zaza. The building has since been renamed Zakithi Nkosi Clinical Haematology Centre of Excellence.
Each year, Mashile-Nkosi takes various stakeholders, including experts and bankers alike to the centre to raise support. She also travels the world raising funds for the centre, including participating in the New York Marathon.
From the Zakithi Nkosi Centre inside the premises of the hospital, a large entourage headed to the nearby Maponya Mall in Pimville, where they set gazibos and a stage to answer questions from the public but also encourage the public – from the ages of 17-55, to register through a simple cheek swab.
“It is important that we highlight the urgent shortage of stem cell and blood donors in South Africa,” said Thato Sethe, aide to Mashile-Nkosi. As the day progressed, dozens of people were responding positively to the campaign.
