YOU could help save baby Zipho's life by becoming a stem cell donor

One-year-old Ziphozenkosi has been nicknamed ‘Tyson the Fighter’ by his dad, as he copes with a life-and-death battle against an aggressive type of blood cancer.

The baby has Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML), which impairs the normal functioning of cells.

Little Zipho urgently needs a blood stem cell transplant from a matching donor after he experienced a severe reaction to chemotherapy at eThekwini Hospital.

Sara-Jayne Makwala King speaks to mom Nqobile Dlomo and Kwazinkosi Mhlongo from DKMS Africa, which is an international non-profit dedicated to the fight against blood cancer.

Zipho's mom says it has been a tough journey since her little boy's diagnosis after he was first taken to hospital.

The initial symptoms that manifested included fevers, a pale complexion, recurrent nosebleeds, swollen feet, followed by bouts of hospital visits due to constipation, says DKMS.

"He is currently undergoing his second round of chemo which is called consolidation, and we're just praying for the best."

"The biggest worry is if we're going to have a donor in time, because this is an aggressive form of cancer." 

Nqobile Dlomo, Mother of baby Ziphozenkosi

Kwazinkosi Mhlongo from DKMS emphasizes that a stem cell donor will not experience any side effects.

"You should not be scared. It's like having your hair cut - it will be replenished.

"There are no side-effects; you are just giving someone a second chance at life".

Kwazinkosi Mhlongo, Patient Services Coordinator - DKMS Africa

You can register online on the DKMS website, where you'll be able to click on a registration link.

DKMS members are also active at many health institutions, and can be recognisable by their red and white t-shirts.

For more detail, listen to the interview audio at the top of the article