An apprentice mechanic from East London, Bradley Peters, had no idea that signing up as a stem cell donor would become a beacon of hope for a patient battling for their life in South America.
East London, South Africa (23 April 2025) – In the heart of East London, a 23-year-old young man, Bradley Peters, helped save the life of another all the way in South America in need of a bone marrow stem cell transplant.
The life-saving discovery came just over a year into the Matches on the Map intercontinental stem cell recruitment drive, supported by the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR).
Bradley is the first donor match that has been identified for a patient on the 64-country, 10-year voyage, which started in September 2023 when Robin Lewis, a former stem cell transplant survivor and his wife, Jolandie, left Mpumalanga on their epic journey.
To date, the campaign has garnered more than 1,000 eligible stem cell donor sign-ups to the SABMR.
Bradley, an apprentice mechanic from East London, signed up with the Matches on the Map team at an awareness drive last year. Nearly six months to the day, he received a call from the SABMR informing him that he was a potential match for a patient in far-flung South America.
Peters, who went on to donate his stem cells, says he never thought that such a small act would result in potentially saving the life of another person 6,500 km across the South Atlantic Ocean!
“When they called me, I wasn’t sure if it was a scam as I had already forgotten that I had signed up to the SABMR. I had no idea that a cheek swab would be the beginning of saving someone’s life! After I received the call, the SABMR set the wheels in motion to conduct the necessary testing to confirm whether I was a suitable match.”
Bradley also shared how his family was initially skeptical about the procedure, but he was put at ease when he explained it wouldn’t be invasive or harmful.
“I still can’t believe that I was part of something this special. I have always wanted to give back in some way, I never thought that this would be my fate. Every day is another chance to be a better person and if I could do it, so could anyone else.”
It’s all about signing up more donors to save more lives
Despite the daunting odds of finding a suitable match – a mere 1 in 100,000, with even greater challenges for patients of colour due to a non-representative donor pool – Bradley’s donation offers a precious second chance at life.
Deputy Director for the SABMR, Jane Ward, says additional stem cell donor sign-ups to the registry mean that more lives can be saved not only in South Africa, but abroad as well.
“Only 30% of people are lucky enough to find donors in their family, while the remaining 70% must look elsewhere for a match,” Ward explains.
“Despite access to nearly 43 million registered donors globally through the World Marrow Donor Association, many patients in desperate need still do not find a suitable donor with a matching tissue type. The more donors we have, the more patients we can help. We are honoured to have been able to secure a match within South Africa to give this patient a second chance at life.”
Matches on the Map gains newfound motivation.
For Lewis, founder of Matches on the Map and a stem cell transplant survivor himself, this first match was a powerful motivator to continue their vital work across continents.
Lewis was diagnosed with Fanconi Anaemia, a genetic DNA repair disorder that can lead to bone marrow failure, leukaemia and or solid tumours in the body. He underwent a stem cell transplant in 2018.
“Finding our first match in Bradley has hugely motivated us to keep pushing onwards. We’ve been on the road for the last 19 months and held successful recruitment drives in Eswatini, Lesotho and South Africa, and we’re currently traversing our fourth country, Namibia. This has by far been the highlight of our project!”
After Namibia, the Matches on the Map team will head to Angola, where the SABMR will be assisting with a translator and an additional team member to help recruit stem cell donors.
Lewis is calling on corporates, companies, schools and individuals to support either financially, help them with connections or by becoming donors.
“There are many ways to get involved with this project. The first is by attending one of our stem cell recruitment drives and signing up as a donor. We’re also looking to connect with local communities along our route to help us set up these drives and host awareness talks, giving more people the opportunity to register.
“While we do have a few partners on board, the majority of our voyage is self-funded, so financial contributions are greatly appreciated,” explains Lewis.
The Matches on the Map journey can be followed here or on Numinous Expeditions’ Facebook and Instagram platforms.
Sources: Supplied
Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google.
Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes & hear their incredible stories:
Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.
by 