When Purpose Called, Brandon Got in His #LifeSavingBag
What seemed like an ordinary day on campus turned into a defining moment of purpose for Brandon when he registered as a potential stem cell donor in 2022, two years later, he was found to be a match for a patient in need of a stem cell transplant.
Like many students, 25-year-old Brandon, a fourth-year medical student at the University of the Witwatersrand, spends most of his time buried in textbooks. When he’s not studying, he’s with friends and family or passionately cheering for Liverpool.
However, his life took a meaningful turn in September 2022 when he spotted the DKMS Africa stand on campus and stopped to learn more. Guided by his desire to help others, Brandon registered as a potential stem cell donor, unaware that this simple act would one day become a life-changing moment for a patient in need of a second chance at life.
Speaking on being identified as a match, Brandon shared that he never imagined that he'd be one of the few to receive that rare email: “You’re a potential match.”
“At first, I thought DKMS had the wrong person because they told me about how slim the chances are, but once it sank in, I thought if I could be even a fraction as brave as the person waiting on the other side, then I had to do it.”
Brandon donated his stem cells through a Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) collection, a non-surgical outpatient procedure performed using an apheresis machine. During the process, blood was drawn from a vein in one arm and circulated through the apheresis machine, which separated and collected the stem cells. The remaining blood components were then safely returned to his body through a vein in the opposite arm.
Sharing his experience, Brandon shared that the next day felt like he’d done an intense gym session.
“I just had some muscle aches,” he says. “But by day three, I was completely fine.”
For Brandon, donating wasn’t just an act of kindness, it was a life-affirming reminder of the power we all hold.
Recognizing this power, Brandon shared that if he had a chance, he would do it again in a heartbeat.
He smiles, then adds, “But jokes aside, this is someone’s life. You could be the only person in the world who can help. And if you have that power, why wouldn’t you?.”
Remember, all costs related to the donation process are taken care of by DKMS Africa.
