Siphephile Needs Your Help!

For 22 year old Siphephile, being a teacher had been a lifelong dream. Her acceptance into the teaching program at the University of Free State stood as testament of this. Sadly, her plans were derailed when she started getting sick around second semester exam time in November 2024.

At first, her sore and swollen feet coupled with dizziness, lack of appetite and overall fatigue were just some of the symptoms pointing to a bigger problem. Pushing through it, Siphephile found herself unable to perform daily tasks but managed to get through the year. It was at the start of the 2025 academic year where she knew something was seriously wrong. Following visits to her local clinic in QwaQwa, Free State, she was transferred to a hospital in Bloemfontein where she was eventually diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in February.

She commenced with treatment in March and was transferred to Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital to be closer to her family in KwaZulu Natal. Having notified her lecturer’s about her illness, concessions were made for her to continue with her studies online. Balancing treatment, which included one month of in-hospital stay and one month as an out-patient at a time, as well as her online studies, Siphephile has managed to get through this academic year one day at a time.

Quiet and kind, Siphephile attributes her ability to get through this year to the support and love of her family. She is hopeful that she will find a stem cell match and go on to receive her transplant. She wishes for nothing more than to finish her Bachelor’s of Education qualification and go on to contribute to building future leaders as a teacher in the next few years.

You could be the perfect stranger to help Siphephile actualize her dream by registering to become a potential stem cell donor.

If you are between 17 - 55 and in good health, you can make a difference today. Register and help give patients a second chance at life.

Remember, all costs related to the donation process are taken care of by DKMS Africa.