From patient to doctor: Joy Schoor’s inspiring journey after cancer survival

What began as a routine post-holiday fever in January 2016 would change the course of 14-year-old Joy Schoor’s life forever.

After returning from a family trip to the Kruger National Park, she soon fell seriously ill, and extensive testing revealed an acute myeloid leukaemia diagnosis — an aggressive form of blood cancer that forced her to step away from school for a year as she underwent intensive chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. Her younger brother, Joel, served as her stem cell donor during treatment.

In the face of a life-threatening illness, Schoor was forced to confront the possibility that her life could be cut short before it had truly begun. Yet she refused to accept the diagnosis as a death sentence, Weekend Argus reported.

Nearly a decade later, she is preparing to enter hospital wards again — this time as a doctor. Schoor is now a final-year medical student at Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, on the verge of qualifying into the profession that once saved her life.

Her journey into medicine was not sparked by a sudden change of direction, but by a long-held childhood ambition reinforced by her personal experience as a patient. Having relied on the care and compassion of medical professionals during her illness, she says she felt a deep sense of purpose in wanting to give back in the same way.

The road to completing her degree, however, has been marked by significant academic, emotional and financial challenges. At one point, rising study costs threatened her ability to continue, until she received support from the Carl and Emily Fuchs Foundation Chancellor’s Bursary.

The bursary, aimed at students from the “missing middle”, not only eased financial pressure on her family but also provided mentorship and renewed encouragement during difficult academic periods. Schoor has said she often drew strength from her medical journey, noting that surviving cancer gave her confidence to face examinations and university demands.

Her experiences have since connected her with an international community of transplant survivors. In 2025, she represented South Africa in swimming at the World Transplant Games in Germany, where she found solidarity among fellow athletes who shared similar life-altering medical journeys.

Reflecting during Youth Month, as South Africa marks 50 years since the 1976 Soweto Uprising, Schoor has spoken about how society often praises resilience without recognising the hardship behind it. She has also highlighted that many young people carry responsibility and pressure that shape their ability to endure challenges.

Outside of her studies, she finds balance through swimming, nature and her church community. Friends describe her as full of energy and laughter — a description that resonates with her name, Joy.

As she prepares to graduate, Schoor hopes to bring more than clinical expertise into her future medical career. She aims to offer patients empathy shaped by lived experience, telling them honestly that she understands, and providing them with what she once depended on most: hope.