A beautifully made short is highlighting the need for stem cell donors in South Africa; the short is one close to Sam Suter’s heart, who was a force behind its making.
South Africa (17 April 2023) – “We found you a match”, are the magic words anyone awaiting a bone marrow or stem cell donor (they are one and the same) wants to hear. These words unlock a fighting chance, a renewed energy and so much more. Finding a match can be really tough, so Black Bean Productions donated their time and skill to make a short highlighting the need for more registered donors. To make the biggest impact, the team released the video in four South African languages.
Sam Suter, a member of the Black Bean team, lost a loved one who was waiting for their own match. The cause is one close to her heart and why the team stepped up to help raise awareness.
Suter says she first came to know of The South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) when her own mother got ill, with a rare type of anaemia. She needed a bone marrow stem cell transplant, but sadly no match was found.
“In an effort to help, I signed up as a donor with the SABMR in 2010. Years later, I received a call from the SABMR informing me that I could be a potential match for a patient, and I jumped for joy at a second opportunity to help someone.
“The entire process, including medical checks went smoothly, but the final round of testing, unfortunately, showed that I wasn’t a 100% match for the patient. This made me realise just how difficult it is to find a match, which inspired me to make the clip.
“In making the video, I learnt that matches are dependent on ethnicity and was shocked to learn of the dire shortage of donors of colour on our local registry. Given our diverse population and that the vast majority of patients needing a transplant are children, it hit me hard, as I’m also a mother of two young children, who I love dearly.
“I hope that the clip dispels any myths that people may have around bone marrow stem cell donation and inspires more people to become donors. There is really no greater feeling than knowing you could have the opportunity to save someone’s life,” she says.
The video showcases some of the donors who have been matched, as well as some of the people who have been featured on Good Things Guy, still looking for their own match.
Deputy Director for the SABMR, Jane Ward, says she cannot express her gratitude enough for the video. It goes a long way in reaching as many South Africans as possible.
“Sam is one in a million! She cares so much about the welfare of others, animals and our planet, and we’d like to thank her and her team for making such a thought-provoking video.
“Our aim is to educate communities throughout South Africa about the importance of stem cell donation in the hopes of expanding the registry to give every patient in need of a transplant the best chance of finding their genetic twin. We want to give every patient a fighting chance, but that can only be achieved if our donor pool is big enough.”
Suter says the video was really important for the Black Bean team.
“While also still struggling to get back on our feet financially post the pandemic, we felt compelled to make the video and did so pro bono. We really hope it’ll make a difference and we encourage everyone to act by signing up as a donor.
“I believe the more you give, the more you receive. At Black Bean, we are passionate about purpose-filled work and creating content that can in some way play a part in affecting real change.”
The short clip has been translated into four languages: English, Afrikaans, Zulu and Xhosa.
If you would like to become a donor, contact the SABMR on 021 447 8638 or email: donors@sabmr.co.za. Financial donations can also be made via www.sabmr.co.za/donate.
Take a look at each of the videos below.
In isiXhosa
In isiZulu
In Afrikaans
And in English.
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