CAPE TOWN – Samkeh Msomi, a bilateral lung transplant survivor, has channelled the trauma of a life-threatening diagnosis into a mission to educate African communities about organ and tissue donation, through books, talks, school tours and a growing non-profit organisation.

The founder of the Victim to Victory NPO, a qualified post basic pharmacist’s assistant, was diagnosed in 2019 with a condition that would eventually require a double lung transplant. She left her job, her only source of income, to stay home to care for herself.

“It felt like it was a polite way to say go home and wait for your death to knock on your door.”

“I have never been so helpless as during those times,” she says. An oxygen machine delivered to her home felt less like treatment and more like a farewell. “It felt like it was a polite way to say go home and wait for your death to knock on your door.”

Relocating from KwaZulu-Natal to the Western Cape proved to be the turning point. She received her bilateral lung transplant at Groote Schuur Hospital, a decision she describes as life-changing.

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“Coming to the Western Cape was the best decision ever,” she says, thankful to the Western Cape Province, Groote Schuur Hospital and donor families for allowing her to live again.

Second chance at life and advocacy

She received her bilateral lung transplant in June 2024. That second chance gave her the courage to write.

She has published three books – Victim to Victory: My Suffocated Journey of Life, The Survivor’s Tale and Like a Phoenix I Will Rise, with a fourth, Once Upon a Time, forthcoming.

“The second chance on life gave me courage to change my pain into purpose through publishing books,” she said.

Msomi is driven to raise awareness of organ and tissue donation, especially in communities where cultural, social and informational barriers discourage open conversation on the topic.

Having experienced the gift of life firsthand, she uses her platform to urge people to educate themselves about organ donation, share their wishes with their families and help build broader public understanding.

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Drawing on her professional background as a qualified post basic pharmacist’s assistant, Msomi uses her books and NPO to educate African communities about the importance of organ and tissue donation.

Her advocacy spans multiple platforms such as Unicorn Podcast, KZN community radio stations Ikhwezi FM, Inanda FM, Ugu FM and Sajonis FM, and morning sessions at Christian Barnard Memorial Hospital, where she was invited to share her journey.

Her flagship book, Victim to Victory: My Suffocated Journey of Life, was awarded Best Author in KZN by the KZN newspaper, and nominated for the Book Behind Award as Best Awareness Book.

A united front for donation awareness

On 12 September, Msomi hosted a collaborative event at the Marburg Sports Ground in Port Shepstone, KZN, bringing together the South African National Blood Service, the Organ Donor Foundation, Lenmed Hospital, VitaNova, Bone SA and HERO 777 under one roof.

“We were there with one purpose of emphasising saving a life with organs and tissues in African communities,” she said.

The book has also been selected by eThekwini Municipality Libraries, which works with Unesco and copies are now held in all eThekwini Municipality libraries.

Sitting in the audience as at a book quiz, where school learners answered questions about her story, she was overwhelmed. “I had mixed emotions because I could not believe the learners were understanding and relating so much with the book,” she says.

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Funds are being raised through a Back a Buddy campaign to adapt the book as a documentary, with preparations under way to convert the story into a film. Msomi continues to conduct school tours, spreading awareness about organ donation and sharing the story of her second chance – one built, she says, on the generosity of a donor family she will never forget.

“I am so sorry for the loss you suffered, but grateful for saying yes to me,” she said.

• Contact Msomi at samkehmsomi78@gmail.com, or see her social media pages at @mathimbilizana6 on TikTok, Samkeh Msomi on FB, msomisamkeh on Instagram.