In the beginning.

This Great Stemcell Transplant Adventure  started, in fact, with quite another transplant. In June 2014 I had a donor knee transplant at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary ( the 5th in Scotland I believe)............ this transplant was the final solution to 8 years of pain and suffering caused by a fall in Pick and Pay (a large grocery chain in South Africa with whom I have an ongoing court case.)
In the lead up to the knee transplant  I was subjected to endless blood tests and the Myeloma showed up in one of them.
 As soon as I was out of hospital but still on crutches and  still in great pain I was given a bone marrow biopsy which confirmed the  Myeloma diagnosis.   With one thing and another I could not start the Chemo treatment till the February of 2015 and until a week ago have been on the Chemo injection, Steroids and Thalidomide.
 I have reacted well to the treatment and my Doctor has seen fit to suggest that I am a suitable candidate for the Stemcell Transplant.
The knee is not 100 percent  but I am doing as well as can be expected and once the Stemcell Transplant is over I will focus on getting the knee up and running. Its no good have an athletic knee when I don't have the energy to walk.
I am sure that everybody who had ha Chemo Therapy will agree that it is exhausting and for  the last 6 months I have felt very tired, nauseous and dizzy..... I believe that this will continue into the Stemcell Transplant but at the end I will start feeling terrific again.

A little bit about me.

South African born I have enjoyed a career in the theatre and related arts spanning 50 years.  

I have  worked in all branches of the performing arts both in South Africa and more recently

 in Scotland. 

I have directed Opera, Musicals, Drama and for children, Conventional theatre and educational theatre. 

As Jacky Vermaas – I  was  Head of Drama at the Natal University of Technology for 7 years. Having moved to Scotland  I worked in Arts Development for both the Cumbernauld Theatre and the Inverclyde Council directing  Opera and Drama, creating public art works, music projects in the community and developing projects designed to improve the quality of life for both young and old.

 Working in Arts Development out of the McLean Museum in Greenock I was responsible for exhibitions, workshops and concerts related to the Museum and Inverclyde.

On the death of my  husband,  Opera Singer Lawrence Folley, in 2007 I returned to South Africa where, for five years, ( Until major damage to my knee caused by a fall in Pick and Pay stopped most of my physical activity.)    I was lucky enough to  tbe able to teach acting  and Movement ,in the  Opera School at Cape Town University and was Museum Director at the Casa Labia in Cape Town.

I am  currently working on my second book for young people. The first was called From the Kalahari to the Clyde..... the adventure of an intrepid Meercat.

I have  two  sons one living happily in Johannesburg with his partner and the other living  in Scotland with his partner. I have a Siberian cat called Patches and am  the proud Grandmother of Rachel, Louise, Samuel, Naomi and little Oliver

I am surrounded by family and friends who all  standing by to support me  through this Stemcell Transplant Adventure.                     

Patches: Companion, confidant, comfort and

Nurse