At 25, Kaitlin should be living independently. At 18, Lihle should be finishing school. Instead, both are fighting for their lives against aplastic anaemia (AA): a rare blood disease that leaves patients vulnerable to infections, uncontrolled bleeding and severe anaemia.
A stem cell transplant gives approximately 80% of patients a real chance at recovery – but for around 70% of those patients, that match will not come from within their family. It will come from a generous stranger.
“AA strikes hardest between 15 and 25 – the years nobody expects to spend fighting for their life,” says Palesa Mokomele, head of Community Engagement and Communication at DKMS Africa.
“We want South Africans to understand that registering as a stem cell donor is a simple act that could give someone like Kaitlin or Lihle their life back. Every person who registers increases their chances of finding a match.”
A long road to the right diagnosis: Kaitlin’s story
For years, no one could tell Kaitlin from KwaZulu-Natal what was wrong. She experienced prolonged and excessive bleeding and severe fatigue, which was repeatedly misattributed to gynaecological issues. She kept going back to the hospital and kept being sent home.
It was only in August 2025, when her condition deteriorated dramatically, and the bleeding would not stop despite ongoing treatment, that she was finally referred to a haematologist. A bone marrow biopsy told them what years of tests had missed: Kaitlin had AA.
Before this, she was working full-time and living independently. Today, she cannot work. She cannot manage basic daily tasks. She requires weekly blood transfusions simply to stay alive. Medication trials have yielded no response, and her doctors have been clear: A stem cell transplant is her only path to recovery.
Through it all, Kaitlin has held on. “I draw strength from my faith and from the people I love most: my nephews and siblings, who show up for me even on the hardest hospital days. I just want my life back, and a matching donor could make that possible.”
Sudden illness, endless resilience: Lihle’s story
Lihle was 14 years old when his life changed overnight. It started with severe nosebleeds in November 2021. Then one night, the bleeding became uncontrollable. He lost consciousness. After two months in hospital, the diagnosis came: severe aplastic anaemia. That same year, his father passed away.
The eldest of four children, Lihle grew up fast. Hailing from Butterworth in the Eastern Cape and raised in Carletonville, Gauteng, he has always felt the weight of being the firstborn – the one his younger siblings look up to. Their mother cares for them all, while also carrying the emotional weight of losing her husband and watching her son fight for his life.
Lihle shares that he is determined to finish his education, set an example and one day return to the football pitch. Like Kaitlin, all he needs is a matching donor to make that possible.
How you can help
“No family should have to face what Kaitlin’s and Lihle’s are going through – knowing that a cure exists, but that the donor hasn’t been found yet. For patients from black, coloured and Indian/Asian backgrounds, that search is even harder because the registry does not yet reflect the diversity of our population,” says Mokomele.
“We are calling on all South Africans to register. It costs nothing. It takes minutes. And it could mean everything.”
Signing up could be the most important thing you ever do. If you are aged 17–55 and in good health, register today.
