“I really hope I get to meet the person I donated to one day just to see how they’re doing. Honestly, I think they’re the strong one in this story,” says Alvin, whose small act of kindness will save a life.
South Africa (23 October 2025) – Alvin grew up in a small town in the Free State, where helping others wasn’t something you thought twice about. It was just part of life. Years later, while living in Zambia, he came across a Facebook post about a little girl with leukaemia who desperately needed a stem cell donor.
“I just remember thinking how tough that must be for her parents,” Alvin says. “I want kids one day, and I couldn’t imagine being in their position. It just felt like the right thing to do.”
That moment stuck with him, and not long after, he registered with DKMS Africa, a non-profit organisation that builds a registry of stem cell donors to fight blood cancer and other blood disorders.
Only a few months later, he got a call to say he was a potential match for someone whose life depended on it.
The process, which involves blood tests and medical check-ups, is well worth it when your help is a lifeline for somebody else.
“The process wasn’t exactly fun, but it was 100% worth it,” Alvin admits. “The injections weren’t nearly as bad as I thought, and that’s coming from someone who really doesn’t like needles! The DKMS team handled everything – they made it easy and kept me comfortable from start to finish.”
Stem cell donation can happen in two ways. Either through a peripheral stem cell procedure, which is similar to donating blood, or through bone marrow donation. Alvin went through the process knowing that every step mattered. In many cases, patients with blood cancer are in a race against time, and a donor match can save a life.
Alvin’s got his hero badge, and he didn’t even have to climb a mountain to do it. Everyday people can save lives, when they just know how. This is one life-saving way to do it.
“It’s something small I could do that might give someone else a second chance,” he says. “I really hope I get to meet the person I donated to one day just to see how they’re doing. Honestly, I think they’re the strong one in this story.”
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Want to become a hero in the fight against blood cancer? Find out more here.
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