Give more patients a chance at a second chance
Enize’s journey from leukaemia to a second chance
At 21, Enize was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). After months of treatment and uncertainty, a matching stem cell donor gave her a second chance. Your contribution can help DKMS Africa grow the donor registry and support more patients in need.
Enize had dreams of studying medicine and becoming a doctor, and cancer was nowhere in her plans.
Weeks before her diagnosis, she began experiencing severe stomach pain and headaches, swollen gums and lymph nodes, unexplained bruising, fatigue and shortness of breath.
Just three days after completing her BSc in Biological Sciences, everything changed.
Blood tests revealed something far more serious. In November 2024, Enize was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and immediately admitted to hospital.
Having lost her mother to breast cancer in 2016, the diagnosis carried additional emotional weight. Within days, she began chemotherapy and spent almost a month in an isolation room.
Waiting for someone to say yes
Treatment continued throughout 2025, but Enize knew chemotherapy alone would not be enough. She needed a stem cell transplant.
Her sister was tested first but was not a full match. With no matching donor in her family, the search turned to the donor registry.
For Enize, this meant waiting and hoping that somewhere, someone would be her match and would be willing to donate.
Months later, a donor was found in Germany and her transplant was scheduled for August 2025. Then, just one week before she was due to be admitted, the donor withdrew.
Enize was devastated. After months of hoping, she was waiting again.
Another potential donor was approached and agreed to donate. Her transplant was rescheduled for 1 October and this time, the donor stayed committed.
Enize finally received her stem cell transplant.
A second chance
Today, at 23, Enize is back studying medicine full-time, pursuing the dream cancer forced her to put on hold.
She returns to that dream with a deep sense of gratitude for the donor whose decision gave her a second chance at life.
For Enize, being a cancer survivor means getting to continue the life that once felt as though it had stopped, while using her experience to give hope to someone else.
If you’re between the ages of 17–55 and in good health, register today. Your could save a life.
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.
