Catherine Runs the Nelson Mandela Marathon for her dad

With the goal of having 42 people register, Catherine is dedicating each of the 42 kilometres of her marathon to every person who joins the registry, with the hopes of helping patients living with blood cancer find a matching stem cell donor.

Months before Catherine’s father passed away, his doctor raised the possibility of testing family members to see whether any of them could be a potential stem cell donor. But by then, it was too late.

“We never got the opportunity to explore that option. By the time it came up, there simply wasn’t enough time to see whether one of us could have been a match for him. That has always stayed with me,” she says.

The experience stayed with Catherine and ultimately led her to join the DKMS donor registry in 2022. Since then, she has turned her birthday month into an opportunity to encourage friends and family members to register as potential donors, instead of buying her a gift.

“My dad never got to know me as an ‘adult’. He couldn’t be there for the big milestones like my graduation and my wedding day, but also all the little moments in between. He never got to see my ‘crazy’ running journey,” she says.

That running journey has now taken on a new meaning. Catherine’s goal is bigger than simply completing 42 kilometres. Each kilometre of the marathon will be dedicated to someone who has joined or supported her drive, giving her a name to carry with her and a reason to keep moving forward.

For Catherine, the challenge is a way of continuing her father’s legacy.

“My dad Michael was a truly phenomenal person. Not only a great dad, but he managed to have an impact on so many people’s lives even through the smallest interactions. This is part of his legacy.”

Register as a potential stem cell donor today. If you cannot register, you can still support the cause by sharing the message or making a monetary contribution towards DKMS Africa donor recruitment efforts.

If you’re between the ages of 17–55 and in good health, register today. Your could save a life.