The former Springbok pro saw his friend’s life spared, thanks to a stem cell donor. So he decided to pay it forward for someone else.
South Africa (06 November 2025) – Seven years ago, former Springbok player and rugby pro Jaco Pretorius watched his best friend’s life being saved by a transplant.
“I never realised how much someone’s life can depend on finding a donor until I saw my friend struggle. I didn’t even know how easy it was to register as a stem cell donor because I was filled with so many misconceptions about the process,” he said.
Understanding that a stem cell donation could potentially save someone else’s life, like it did his friend’s, the former Springbok pro decided to register as a donor himself with DKMS Africa.
Years went by without receiving any calls, until in 2022, when he finally matched with a patient.
“When I heard I was a match, I felt emotional and grateful that I could make a real difference in someone’s life. Seeing my best friend’s life saved made me realise how crucial it is to be a donor. It motivated me to do the same, and ultimately led to me being a match for someone else.”
The process of donating stem cells can happen either through a peripheral stem cell procedure, which is similar to donating blood, or through bone marrow donation. Jaco, after a series of blood tests and medical check-ups, went through the peripheral procedure.
It lasted only a few hours. It was safe, painless, and came with no side effects.
“The procedure is simple, not painful, and I experienced no side effects after the harvest. Stem cells were collected from my blood, and the process was safe, carefully monitored, and took only a few hours.”
And just like that, Jaco became a hero off the field.
It happens in two parts.
The first is realising that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of brave fighters battling blood cancer and other blood disorders out there. Every potential donor who registers has a chance at saving a life. So that’s what you do. You sign up, and you wait for the call.
The second part is when that call eventually comes. It could come months after registering, or it might be years until you hear back. When you eventually do learn that you are a match, life changes.
“Being a successful match was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Please consider becoming a donor; it can change not only someone else’s life but your own as well,” says Jaco.
Want to become a hero in the fight against blood cancer? Find out more here.
Sources: Linked above
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