Lisa Isaacs lisa.isaacs@inl.co.za NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD Zyaan Makda from Rocklands, Mitchells Plain, said she had no words to express her gratitude for the kindness of a stranger on the other side of the world who, through a stem-cell transplant, saved her life.
Madka survived a rare blood disorder called heterozygous hemoglobinopathy when she found her DNA “twin”, Polish stem-cell donor Marta Drozdz, three years ago.
Makda and Drozdz met for the first time, virtually, last month.
Makda’s parents noticed bruises all over her body at the age of four. She experienced stubborn earaches and was later diagnosed with the incurable blood disorder. A stem-cell transplant was her best chance of survival.
“When we started our search, we struggled to find a donor and my siblings were not a match,” Makda said.
While…