Bokang’s story of triumph
Bokang is making an amazing difference to the people around him every day.
He recovered from a life-threatening brain tumour and as a result had to receive
numerous blood transfusions.

Suretha world record holder
Suretha Campher is a school teacher in Middelburg, Mpumalanga. She is a regular
participant in three World Transplant Games, where she has won 5 gold medals for
long jump, 100m and the 200m relay and smashed a world record for the 100m in
the process. She suffered total kidney failure and had to receive an enormous amount
of blood products following transplant complications.

Jacob thanks blood donors
Jacob Mohapi has been involved in two, near-fatal, car accidents and received blood
on both occasions. He and his son Thabang share an extremely close bond. This
bond is reinforced by the gratitude they both have for people who donate blood.
Because of blood donors, their family unit has remained intact and they are able to
share their experiences and opportunities of their lives with each other.

Mbali’s source of life
Without safe and sufficient blood supply, Mbali wouldn’t live the life she is living today.
Being diagnosed with aplastic aneamia means that she needs regular blood transfusions
to stay healthy and active – things most people take for granted.

Tebogo’s story
“Imagine telling a little boy that he may not play sports”. Tebogo tells us what it’s
like to live with haemophilla. He needs regular blood transfusions and thanks to
committed blood donors, Tebogo is more than coping – he’s living.

Mags’s miracle
Before her first breath, baby Jesse had already received a blood transfusion.
Her mother, Mags, tells us about how an in-utero blood transfusion saved her
daughter’s life just before she needed emergency transfusions herself.

Matt Lathan’s story
Life for Matt Lathan (26) took a sudden turn for the worse when a night at the movies
ended with him lying in the casualty ward with excruciating abdominal pain. The
poison began to destroy his kidneys and liver. To prevent further damage, the
prescribed treatment included several large blood transfusions to replace his toxic
bloodstream.

Patience Thusi’s story
When Patience Thusi, a school teacher in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, was diagnosed
with aplastic anaemia in 2010 she thought she would not live to see her two daughters
reach adulthood.
Today she needs blood transfusion sessions less frequently – every three months.

Tashnika Rambali’s saviours
Two weeks after taking her matric exams in 2014, the life of 18-year old
Tashnika Rambali, from Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, came crashing down. A minor
cut on her finger did not stop bleeding for 30 hours. Then blood tests revealed a
distressing diagnosis – acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. She says she felt terrified
for her life, did not know about the disease or the treatment, but with support from
family, medical staff and blood donors who are unknown to her,she found courage to
fight the cancer.

 

These are the stories of our own SANBS employees whose lives were saved by a blood transfusion.

Sarah’s appendicitis
In 2013, blood bank technician Sarah Ramokgatla, had an urgent laparotomy for
appendicitis. She was very ill and lost a lot of blood during the procedure . After
receiving received 3 units of life and she is alive and well and really thankful to
all the people who donate blood every day.

Renetha’s tough start to motherhood
Renetha’s baby girl, Gisele, was born 26 weeks premature. She had an oxygen
deficiency and weighed just 800 grams. She needed blood 6 times before her body
was ready to produce enough red cells. After 86 days in Gisele thankfully recovered.

Amanda beats cancer twice!
Amanda started working for SANBS in 1997. Amanda is a two-time cancer survivor
not only surviving cervica cancer but throat cancer as well. During her hospital
admission she received blood products due to losing a lot of blood during the
operation. She is now strong and happily back at work again.

Roelof was down but not out
As a young teen Roelof was hit by a drunk driver whilst on his motorbike. This
resulted in him breaking his right leg, dislocating his hip and cracking a couple
of ribs. He was placed in an induced coma and needed blood transfusion. He is
happy to be working for the organisation that made it possible for him to be here.

Melinda’s childbirth challenge
Thirty years ago, Melinda needed four pints of blood after she haemorrhaged
during the birth of her first child. Doctors later told her that without a blood
transfusion she would have died.
Melinda’s has recently celebrated her daughters 30th birthday

Khaya’s courage
Khaya has been working at SANBS since 2006. After collapsing at gym he was
diagnosed with leukaemia. He lived through kidney, lung and liver failure, excessive
bleeding, dialysis and intensive chemotherapy. Khaya was put on life support and spent
54 excruciating days in ICU and received dozens of blood and platelet transfusions.