Yakamehla needs a lifesaving stem cell match
Help give Yakamehla a second chance at life
Three-year-old Yakamehla urgently needs a matching stem cell donor after relapsing from acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). A stem cell transplant could give her the best chance at survival.
At just three years old, Yakamehla was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) in September 2025. After responding well to treatment, routine follow-up tests earlier this year revealed that the cancer had returned. She is now in urgent need of a matching stem cell donor to give her the best chance at survival.
Originally from the Eastern Cape, Yakamehla's mother, Ntshepiseng, recalls how what first appeared to be a simple stomach illness quickly turned into every parent's worst nightmare.
Yakamehla was then referred from her local hospital to Frere Hospital in East London, where a bone marrow biopsy confirmed she had AML.
Before her diagnosis, Yakamehla attended crèche. However, after months of treatment, she was unable to return, as she was repeatedly admitted to hospital.
Despite the heartbreak, Ntshepiseng remains hopeful that a matching stem cell donor can be found.
For patients diagnosed with blood cancer such as AML, a stem cell transplant offers the best chance of survival. Every person who joins the stem cell donor registry could be the lifesaving match that gives Yakamehla, and many other patients, a second chance at life.
Remember, all costs related to the donation process are taken care of by DKMS Africa. You will not be asked to pay for anything.
