For most people, this past year has been one of constant change and adaptation, but none so much as 53-year-old La Lucia based Lynton Lloyd.
After bouts of severe exhaustion, Lynton was decisively diagnosed with a life-threatening blood cancer called myelofibrosis in February 2021. Up to this point, Lynton balanced an active business, sport and outdoor lifestyle but these days his routine comprises a broad spectrum of oral medication and regular blood transfusions.
Having taken on some of the world’s most arduous physical feats including the Comrades and Two Oceans Marathons, the news of his dire diagnosis was received with shock and disbelief by active and multi-disciplined sportsman Lynton and his wife, Susan. It was a double whammy for the Lloyd family, with Susan being a recent cancer survivor herself.
The family has been overwhelmed with support from friends, family and colleagues but they now have to look to the much-broader community to find an unrelated blood stem cell donor match for Lynton who desperately needs a life-saving blood stem cell transplant. Unfortunately, Lynton has no immediate family that could be screened as possible matches.
With the chances of finding a donor match being 1:100 000 within one’s own ethnic group, the family is sending out a public plea for as many people as possible to register as potential life-saving donors. Anyone who is healthy and between the ages of 18 and 55 is eligible to register and may contact DKMS Africa (formerly known as The Sunflower Fund) to find out how to become a donor. This simple act directly translates into a second chance at life for anyone with a life-threatening blood disorder and in need of a lifesaving transplant.
DKMS Africa is the South African entity of the global DKMS family. DKMS is a stem cell donor registry and has registered over 10.6 million donors worldwide. To register as a donor is a quick and simple process that involves a non-invasive DNA cheek swab. Once you have registered online, a DNA swab kit is sent to you via courier and then collected when you have completed the process.
If you are a successful match, the donor process is as painless as donating blood,” explains Alana James, DKMS Africa Country Executive Director. “Blood stem cells are collected from your circulating bloodstream, much like donating platelets,” she added.
“Don’t think this type of thing will never happen to you. Don’t only start taking action and register as a donor once someone you know is requiring a donor match – that may be too late for someone! Become a donor now and know that you may be saving someone’s life somewhere in this world. It is a lot more simple than you realize”, urges Lynton.
Visit www.dkms-africa.org or call 0800 12 10 82, weekdays between 8.30am and 4.30pm to register or to find out more about becoming a blood stem cell donor.
DKMS will be hosting a donor drive on Saturday 26 June at St Michael’s Anglican Church (6 Durban View Road, Umhlanga Rocks) from 8am to 1pm and they are calling on members from the public to please consider signing up on the day. You could be someone’s second chance at life.
DKMS is an international non-profit organisation dedicated to the fight against blood cancer. Founded in Germany in 1991 by Dr. Peter Harf, DKMS and the organization’s 1.000 employees have since relentlessly pursued the aim of giving as many patients as possible a second chance at life. With over 10.5 million registered donors, DKMS has succeeded in doing this more than 91,000 times to date by providing blood stem cell donations to those in need. This accomplishment has led to DKMS becoming the global leader in the facilitation of unrelated blood stem cell transplants. The organisation has offices in Germany, the US, Poland, the UK, Chile and South Africa. In India, DKMS has founded the joint venture DKMS-BMST together with the Bangalore Medical Services Trust. International expansion and collaboration are key to helping patients worldwide because, like the organisation itself, blood cancer knows no borders.
DKMS is also heavily involved in the fields of medicine and science, with its own research unit focused on continually improving the survival and recovery rate of patients. In its high-performance laboratory, the DKMS Life Science Lab, the organisation sets worldwide standards in the typing of potential blood stem cell donors.