Latest news with #RobinLewis
BBC News
14-08-2025
- Health
- BBC News
New Sheffield nursing course aims to plug NHS workforce gaps
Nursing students are being encouraged to consider a career in general practice to help the NHS tackle its ongoing staffing "crisis".Funded by NHS England, Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) has developed a new module designed to give students an insight into the to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) nearly a quarter - 23% - of general practice nursing roles are Robin Lewis, Senior Lecturer in Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences at SHU, said he hoped the course would "address the workforce crisis, whilst ensuring the NHS has skilled health professionals for the future". The shortage of general practice nurses has been put down to a number of factors, including ageing, outdated attitudes, the preference for experienced nurses, Covid, pay, conditions and Dodsworth from the RCN Yorkshire & the Humber said: "General practice nursing staff are paramount to the success of the NHS [yet] almost a third of GP nursing staff went without a pay rise last year. So it's utterly unsurprising that morale is poor."Dr Lewis added: "We've known about about the demographics of the practice nurses for a while now - [back in] 2016 we knew there was a problem then."The hardest part was convincing GPs, and Covid set us back five years." The course, being offered in Sheffield and at University Campus Doncaster, is taught by "nurse educators" currently working in general lead Emma Parker said "Traditionally there is this thought that nurses need lots of years of experience - this module [tries to] dispel these myths and encourage newly qualified nurses into primary health nursing."Iona Smith ,33, who is in the final year of her nursing course, said she wanted to pursue a career in general practice after enjoying her GP said: "I loved it. I flourished and my confidence grew."There's a lot of us who want to go down that route, which means that there's going to be a workforce for longer, which is good."A spokesperson for NHS England said it was working to expand access to and awareness of practice nursing as part of the government's 10-year plan, adding that more than 300 nurses had taken part in nursing programmes such as the one at Sheffield Hallam University. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
News24
13-05-2025
- Health
- News24
East London man's stem cells cross continents to save a stranger in South America
When East London apprentice mechanic Bradley Peters registered as a stem cell donor last year, he never imagined his cells would journey 6 500km across the South Atlantic Ocean to offer someone a second chance at life. 'I never thought I'd be someone's perfect match,' says the 23-year-old, who works at Ronnies Motors Commercial Vehicles. Bradley registered as a stem cell donor with Matches on the Map in June 2024. The organisation was founded by Robin Lewis after he received a life-saving stem cell transplant in 2018 for Fanconi anaemia, a rare inherited disorder that prevents bone marrow from making enough blood cells. Today, Matches on the Map conducts donor recruitment drives in 64 countries. Despite the slim odds – one in 400 000 for non-white donors – Bradley's details in the system proved to be exactly what someone in South America needed. 'The matching process began with an unexpected call from the South African Bone Marrow Registry, informing me I was a perfect match at nine out of 10 markers,' Bradley says. His friend Alvandre Adkins served as his contact person. 'You never answer your phone,' Alvandre jokes. When the crucial call came, it was Alvandre who received it and relayed the news to Bradley. With the support of his workplace management team, Bradley began the donation process. READ MORE | A miracle match for baby Leo: donor found in record time for ultra-rare condition The process started with multiple blood tests – 11 to 12 vials each time. In early December, Bradley travelled to Cape Town for a comprehensive medical screening that included X-rays and other vital checks. A week later, he returned with his girlfriend, Chelsie Goliath (20). 'The preparation required self-administered injections beneath my belly every 12 hours for five days,' Bradley explains. 'The injections stimulated stem cell production. I experienced a tingling sensation afterwards, but it quickly subsided.' Over five days, he received approximately 11 injections. 'On day five, they performed a blood count check, followed by the actual donation on day six. By day nine, I was cleared to return home.' It was only on the day of the harvest that Bradley learnt his recipient was from South America. Due to protocol, he must wait until 2028 before any potential contact with the recipient. He does, however, have a message for them. 'God orchestrated our connection for a purpose. Though we're strangers, we're now siblings connected through DNA. I hope someday we'll meet and share our stories.' Bradley's history of helping others began early – he regularly donated blood through the South African National Blood Service in East London. READ MORE | MY STORY | I beat childhood cancer and now I'm writing my matric exams According to international bone marrow donor non-profit Deutsche Knochenmarkspenderdatei , or DKMS, stem cell donation involves a process where someone donates blood-forming stem cells to help a person with a serious blood or bone marrow disorder. The cells are then transplanted into the recipient to help their body produce healthy blood cells. Bradley is the first donor match identified during Matches on the Map's journey, which started in September 2023. After 19 months conducting recruitment drives across southern Africa, Bradley's contribution has energised the team as it continues its journey to Namibia and Angola, calling for more potential donors to step forward. 'This experience has transformed me; I've become more humble and grateful,' Bradley shares.
IOL News
25-04-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Local apprentice mechanic becomes lifesaving stem cell donor for patient in South America
ONE IN 100 000 MATCH: Bradley Peters (23), an apprentice mechanic from East London, has been identified as a stem cell donor match for a patient in South America. Peters signed up by chance during an awareness drive for the Matches on the Map campaign last year, making him the first confirmed match for a patient, not only in the country, but across the 64-country, 10-year voyage. The campaign is spearheaded by former transplant survivor, Robin Lewis and his wife Jolandie. Image: Supplied A YOUNG apprentice mechanic from East London who signed up as a stem cell donor by chance has become a 1 in 100 000 lifesaving match for a patient in South America. Twenty-three-year-old Bradley Peters is now the first confirmed match for a patient, not only in the country but across the 64-country, 10-year Matches on the Map campaign. The Matches on the Map inter-continental stem cell recruitment drive is spearheaded by former transplant survivor, Robin Lewis and his wife Jolandie who left Mpumalanga on their epic journey in September 2023. To date the campaign has garnered more than 1 000 eligible stem cell donor sign-ups to the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR). Peters signed up with the Matches on the Map team at an awareness drive last year. Nearly six months to the day, he received a call from the SABMR informing him that he was a potential match for a patient in far-flung South America. Peters, who went on to donate his stem cells, said he never thought that such a small act would result in potentially saving the life of another person 6500 km across the South Atlantic Ocean. 'When they called me… I had already forgotten that I had signed up to the SABMR. I had no idea that a cheek swab would be the beginning of saving someone's life. After I received the call, the SABMR set the wheels in motion to conduct the necessary testing to confirm whether I was a suitable match,' said Peters. Robin Lewis and his wife, Jolandie, pictured here with their custom-built truck, Betsy. The pair started on their intercontinental journey in September 2023, to find stem cell matches during their travels. Lewis was diagnosed with Fanconi Anaemia, a genetic DNA repair disorder that can lead to bone marrow failure, leukaemia and or solid tumours in the body. He successfully underwent a stem cell transplant in 2018, which completely changed his outlook on life. Image: Supplied The chance of finding a suitable stem cell donor match for any patient is 1 in 100 000 and the odds increase even further based on ethnicity. The donor pool in South Africa is unfortunately not reflective of the country's population, meaning that the chance of finding a donor for patients of colour is near impossible. Deputy director for the SABMR, Jane Ward, said additional stem cell donor sign-ups to the registry means that more lives can be saved not only in South Africa, but abroad as well. 'Only 30% of people are lucky enough to find donors in their family, while the remaining 70% must look elsewhere for a match.'Despite access to nearly 43 million registered donors globally through the World Marrow Donor Association, many patients in desperate need still do not find a suitable donor with a matching tissue type. The more donors we have, the more patients we can help. We are honoured to have been able to secure a match within South Africa to give this patient a second chance at life,' Ward explained. Peters said while his family was initially sceptical about him donating his stem cells due to not understanding the procedure, they were fully behind him. He said if he could do it again, he would do so in a heartbeat. 'Once I explained to them that it was not invasive and that it would not harm me in any way, but rather save someone's life, I had their full support. I still can't believe that I was part of something this special, I have always wanted to give back in some way, I never thought that this would be my fate. Every day is another chance to be a better person and if I could do it, so could anyone else.' The Matches on the Map team is currently in Namibia, after which they will be off to Angola, where the SABMR will be assisting with a translator and an additional team member to help recruit stem cell donors. Lewis said finding a match en-route is a dream come true. Lewis was diagnosed with Fanconi Anaemia, a genetic DNA repair disorder that can lead to bone marrow failure, leukaemia and or solid tumours in the body. He underwent a stem cell transplant in 2018. 'Finding our first match in Bradley has hugely motivated us to keep pushing onwards. We've been on the road for the last 19 months and held successful recruitment drives in Eswatini, Lesotho and South Africa, and we're currently traversing our fourth country, Namibia. This has by far been the highlight of our project.' Lewis said if it wasn't for a breakdown of their custom-built motor home, 'Betsy', they would never have met Peters in East London or known that he would have been a suitable donor match. 'While Betsy was being repaired, we found ourselves living in the workshop for more than two weeks, working alongside technicians to fix her up. Since the start, we were confident that the entire 10-year project, including the four years it took to build the truck, would all be worth it, if we found one match. We were extremely grateful and humbled when this happened within our first year and in our home country.'
IOL News
25-04-2025
- Health
- IOL News
SA mechanic saves stranger's life across the globe
Peters worked at a garage when he met Robin Lewis, a stem cell transplant survivor and his wife, Jolandie, who had started an inter-continental stem cell recruitment drive. When Betsy their custom-made truck broke down they ended up at the garage where Peters was an apprentice mechanic 'So there was a problem with his truck and he actually ended up taking a sh'ot left here in East London. They stayed for about two weeks and Robin told us what he was doing and that he was a survivor. Close to the last day he asked us if we wanted to sign up. He didn't need to tell me the whole story. I was just game,' said Peters. East London mechanic Bradley Peters, 23, signed up to be a bone marrow donor last year, little did he know that this selfless act would make him the perfect match for a terminally ill patient in South America. Recounting his story this week, Peters told the Independent on Saturday that how it came about was nothing short of a miracle, 'a weird story of coincidence'. A South African man has given a stranger the ultimate gift of life, 6500 kilometres away, on another continent and in an unknown country. Robin Lewis and his wife Jolandie are on a 64-country, 10-year voyage on their Matches on the Map campaign to encourage people to sign up as bone marrow donors. All his colleagues signed up as donors and Peters said It happened at a time when he had already adopted a healthier lifestyle. A few months later he received a call from the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) saying that he was a potential match for someone who needed a transplant. 'I wasn't sure if it was a scam as I had already forgotten that I had signed up. had no idea that a cheek swab would be the beginning of saving someone's life.' Initially his mom was a bit apprehensive but once she understood the process he had her full support. 'At first she couldn't handle the fact that I was going to do this. To her it sounded like something from a sci-fi movie.' He was flown to Cape Town for a series of tests to ensure that he was in good health and a suitable match. When this was confirmed, he flew back for another week to complete the process. Peters said his colleagues were proud of him but he told them not to make a fuss. 'I don't want to be recognised as a superhero or someone who should get a Nobel Peace Prize.' Now he is encouraging others to also sign up as donors. 'It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to save someone and if God has chosen you to be someone's savior or to help someone in life, I think you should just heed the call because one day you might end up in a similar situation.' For Lewis, finding a donor for someone during their Matches on the Map campaign is a dream come true. In 2018 he underwent a stem cell transplant after he was diagnosed with Fanconi Anaemia, a genetic DNA repair disorder that can lead to bone marrow failure, leukaemia and or solid tumours in the body. Then in 2023 he and his partner left their home in Mpumalanga, with Betsy that runs on used cooking oil, to embark on a 64-country, 10-year voyage to publicise their donor campaign. 'Finding our first match in Bradley has hugely motivated us to keep pushing onwards. We've been on the road for the last 19 months and held successful recruitment drives in Eswatini, Lesotho and South Africa, and we're currently traversing our fourth country, Namibia. This has by far been the highlight of our project!' Jane Ward, the Deputy Director for the SABMR, Jane Ward, says finding a suitable stem cell donor match for any patient is a 1 in 100 000 chance and the odds increase even further based on ethnicity. She said the donor pool in South Africa is not reflective of the country's population, meaning that finding a donor for patients of colour is near impossible. 'Despite access to nearly 43 million registered donors globally through the World Marrow Donor Association, many patients in desperate need still do not find a suitable donor with a matching tissue type. The more donors we have, the more patients we can help. We are honoured to have been able to secure a match within South Africa to give this patient a second chance at life,' said Ward.
