As Women’s Month draws to a close, the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness is highlighting the women at the forefront of organ donation and transplantation across the province.
Professor Mignon McCulloch leads the Clinical Unit of Paediatric Nephrology and Solid Organ Transplantation at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital.
“I’ve always wanted to be a doctor. As I finished school, I realised I loved helping children, and that naturally led me towards paediatrics,” she says.
Her unit manages complex kidney disease long before and after surgical intervention. “Medicine is a team sport,” McCulloch emphasises.
McCulloch relies on a multidisciplinary network, including dietitians, nurses, social workers, surgeons, youth workers, and transplant coordinators who bridge clinical operations with family support.
“For me, there’s nothing more fulfilling than helping a sick child get better. Ultimately, it’s about giving them their quality of life back so that they can return home and simply be children again.”
Walking the Journey with Families
Bongisa Ndamase, a registered nurse trained in intensive care who joined the transplant team in 2023, acts as a compassionate guide for both grieving donor families and waiting recipients.
“My role is to walk the journey with families,” she explains. “We support children while they wait for an organ, educate them after their transplant, and help them understand how to care for themselves so they can live healthy lives.”
Ndamase offers pastoral and culturally sensitive guidance when families navigate delicate spiritual concerns.
“Many people worry that their ancestors won’t recognise them if they become organ donors,” she notes. She reassures families that donation does not alter a person’s identity or spiritual legacy. “
“Organ donation does not change who you are. Your spirit, identity and legacy remain intact,” Ndamase says.
“I am a praying woman,” Ndamase adds. “This work can be difficult, but seeing a successful transplant and watching a child regain their health makes it all worthwhile.”
Faith, Perseverance, and Precision
Nine-year-old Igshaan Louw and his family know the demands of transplantation firsthand.
After being diagnosed with kidney failure in 2025, Igshaan’s first kidney transplant failed, making dialysis a necessity again. “It was a very disappointing experience, but I continued to have faith,” his mother recalls.
On 25 July 2026, the family received a notification that a potential donor kidney had become available.
Following urgent compatibility testing and pre-operative preparation guided by Professor McCulloch and senior transplant coordinator Sister Naidoo, Igshaan underwent surgery.
The operation was completed successfully, and he remains under active clinical follow-up to monitor organ function. “The hospital has become our second home,” his mother shares.
“My son even thinks the doctors and nurses are his biological relatives.”
A Legacy That Lives On
At Tygerberg Hospital, transplant coordinator Dianne Vogt, and a registered nurse trained in intensive care with 35 years of renal experience, coordinates organ retrieval and recipient care.
Organ retrieval involves the medical team recovering donated organs from a deceased or living donor, while transplantation is the surgical procedure placing the organ into the recipient; eligibility depends on strict clinical criteria.
“Organ donation is the ultimate act of kindness,” Vogt says. “Every donor and every family who says yes leaves behind a legacy that lives on through others.”
That decision restored kidney recipient Winston Moses, who endured five years on dialysis while supporting his family before his transplant in June 2025.
“Receiving the call that a donor kidney had become available changed my life,” Moses says.
“My transplant has given me renewed hope and the opportunity to focus on my family, my work, and the things I enjoy most.”
Professor McCulloch, head of the Clinical Unit of Paediatric Nephrology and Solid Organ Transplantation at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, urges families to discuss organ donation long before a health crisis occurs.
“Organ donation is one of the greatest gifts a person can give,” Professor McCulloch says.
“A single donor has the potential to transform multiple lives.”
To learn more, contact the Organ Donor Foundation at odf.org.za (Toll-Free: 0800-22-66-11) or visit the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness portal.
IOL
Yaeesh Collins
iol.co.za