At the Western Cape Blood Service headquarters, where blood is tested and processed daily to ensure it’s safe for patients across the province, you’ll find a committed team working quietly behind the scenes in the laboratories. Among them is Siphokazi, a Reagent Manager who, in 2022, found herself on the receiving end of the very service she’s dedicated her career to supporting.
“I was pregnant when I experienced complications that required an emergency blood transfusion,” Siphokazi explains. “At that moment, everything changed. I went from being someone who prepares blood for others, to being the one in desperate need of it.”
Her condition was critical. Over a short period, she received 6 units of red blood cells (RBCs), 4 units of frozen plasma (FFP), 1 pool of platelets, and 6 units of cryoprecipitate (CRYO). These blood products helped stabilise her and ultimately saved her life.
“I am alive today because of blood donors. Without that transfusion, I don’t know if I would have made it.”
It’s a deeply humbling experience for someone who has always understood the importance of blood donation but never thought she’d rely on it so personally. “Working in the lab, I’ve always known how essential blood is. But being a recipient shifted my perspective completely. It’s no longer just about test tubes and results it’s about the human beings on the other side,” she says.
Siphokazi often thinks about the anonymous donors who helped save her life.“I wish I could meet them in person. I’d say, ‘Enkosi kakhulu, namhlanje ndiyaphila ngenxa yakho.’ (Thank you so much, today I am alive because of you.)”
Her journey didn’t end there. Inspired by the gift she received, Siphokazi made the decision to become a blood donor herself. “I wanted to give back. Having been on both sides, I know how powerful that act of kindness is. Donating blood is not just about helping strangers it could save someone you work with, someone you love, or even you.”
