Gijs Zebregts: ‘I want to give hope to fellow sufferers of leukaemia’
Gijs Zebregts had just graduated from International Studies when he was stricken with acute leukaemia. A stem cell donor brought relief. Now he is going to cycle from Florence to Rotterdam to raise money and awareness for the donor bank.
How did you end up studying International Studies?
'I didn't know what I wanted to do, so I was looking for a broad study. I went to the Student for Day event at International Studies and found that foreign policy appealed to me, learning more about regions you don't otherwise know much about. “Why do countries do what they do?”'
What kind of student were you?
'A very calculating one. I soon found out that I wasn't made for a lot of commitments or theoretical and abstract knowledge. Fortunately, I discovered pretty quickly that listening to what your teachers say is often enough to know what they think is important. If I didn't find a subject particularly interesting, I would listen to the recording of the lecture at home at 1.5 times the playback speed and mainly study the material covered there. Then I would pass my exam.'
Why did you finish it anyway?
'I was surprised by the parts I did find fascinating. I never thought beforehand that I would find it interesting how languages develop in relation to each other and how cultures relate to each other, but that really grabbed me.'
What did you do in your spare time?
'Although my programme was in The Hague, I deliberately went to study in Leiden. I was the only one of my friends who chose Leiden University, so I wanted to make friends quickly. A student union seemed a good way to do that. In the end, I had great times at Quintus.'
What was your favourite place?
'I loved sitting in the Plantsoen during the summer months, although it became a bit less fun when the alcohol ban came into effect. In The Hague, I still like to go to the Zuiderstrand. It's much quieter than touristy Scheveningen and you have nice, friendly beach bars there. When I was ill, I often went there to get some fresh air.'
You had only recently graduated when you were diagnosed with leukaemia. How did that process go?
'The variant I have starts very dormant. I was tired and had no energy, but then you think for a long time: I'll take an extra vitamin pill. Only when out of the blue I suddenly fainted, and developed sunstroke and pneumonia twice did it become clear that something more was going on. I was referred to a lung specialist, but I was allowed to go on holiday to Scotland first. In retrospect, that was a bizarre trip, even for the friends who went with me, but I'm glad we went. A few days after that, I got my diagnosis.'
What did your treatment look like?
'Initially, it was unclear whether I needed the most severe or a slightly less severe treatment. When I was told after two weeks that it was the most severe, I was actually relieved: at least something was finally happening. I had to spend time in isolation twice for a month for chemotherapy that not only destroys the cancer, but also lowers your resistance to zero. After that, I was ready for a stem cell transplant: if you have leukaemia, your own stem cells no longer make blood and oxygenate your body.’
‘I was given healthy cells from a donor. At best, these cells can also combat a recurrence of the cancer.'
How are you doing now?
'My doctor once said that I died at 26 and was brought back to life. Of course, the cancer can come back and there is a chance that my body will still reject the donor cells, but for now I am doing well. As a result, I have a very strong drive to give something back and make a difference. Currently, we lose one in two patients with my disease. I want to reduce that percentage, which is why I’m going to cycle from Florence to Erasmus MC in Rotterdam in September. I hope to raise 50,000 euros for research and, with all the attention, ensure that as many people as possible will sign up for the Matchis Foundation, which runs the donor bank. It's very easy: you are sent three cotton swabs with which to collect cheek mucus. The chance of a match is very small, but should there be one, in most cases you have to inject medication for a week that can make you feel a bit flu-like. The stem cells are then filtered out of your blood. It's a relatively small effort, but it does give someone with a serious illness a sudden hope of a cure.'
Have you ever been given a golden tip?
'It's not necessarily a tip, but I have learned over the past year and a half that you should do things that energise you, not the things that society or others demand of you. Ultimately, it’s doing something meaningful that makes you happy.’
Would you also like to become a stem cell donor? Check out the Matchis website. Don't have a Dutch passport? Then visit https://wmda.info/become-a-donor/.