Zachary is courageously fighting Aplastic anaemia and longs for nothing but to get back to outdoor adventures and completing his 3rd year at the Nelson Mandela University – hopes that hinge on finding a compatible stem cell donor.
Eastern Cape, South Africa (29 September 2025) – Twenty-one-year-old university student, Zachary, has always been an active young man, passionate about sports, outdoor adventures, and online gaming with friends. Life was full of promises until everything changed in early February 2025.
According to DKMS Africa, what started as a routine visit to the doctor to check his blood pressure, which was unusually low, led to a series of urgent tests and ultimately, a bone marrow biopsy. He was diagnosed with Aplastic anaemia – a rare and serious condition where the bone marrow stops producing enough new blood cells.
Since then, Zachary’s world has been turned upside down. He now requires weekly transfusions of irradiated blood and platelets to stay alive.
He’s been on various treatments to help his bone marrow recover and start producing blood cells again. However, Zachary’s only chance at survival is a stem cell transplant from a matching donor.
With no matches found within his family, this young man depends on the kindness of a stranger, someone who took the time to register as a stem cell donor, to afford him a chance to live.
Finding that match can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. But every new registration increases Zachary’s chances. It could be you.
Zachary is more than his diagnosis. He is a son, a friend, a student, and a young man with dreams and a future worth fighting for.
Consider registering as a stem cell donor todayYour unique tissue type might be the one that gives him the second chance he desperately needs.
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All costs related to the donation process are taken care of by DKMS Africa. Visit the website for more information or call Bonginkosi Kume on 021 701 0661.
Sources: DKMS Africa
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