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Hello Friend

There’s something very grounding about keeping a Gratitude Journal. It keeps us aware of the many blessings that we can so easily take for granted in our daily lives.

My own reasons for gratitude are too long to list here, but I’d like to share a few of them with you.

I’m grateful for the opportunity given to me through my position to be able to help people.

I’m grateful for the dedicated staff members without whom CANSA wouldn’t exist or operate.

Elize Joubert

I’m grateful for you – for your partnership, your generosity, and your constancy which keeps our services sustainable.

I’m grateful for humbly being able to witness the courage of our cancer patients, their resilience and indomitable spirit.

I’m grateful for your support of these patients.

I’m grateful for the unfailing loving care that families provide to patients during their journey with cancer.

I’m grateful for how you add strength to these families.

I’m grateful for the advances in research, diagnosis and treatments that continue to emerge in the fight against cancer.

I’m grateful for the part you play in supporting these advances.

I’m grateful for the many miracles of recovery that I see.

I’m grateful that I’m able to share these miracles with you as outcomes of your kindness.

Every day, I’m grateful for you.

Elize Joubert Chief
Executive Officer

Thank You for Making the World a Brighter Place

Every day, we want to sing your praises. In whatever way you support CANSA services, you make the world a kinder, gentler and more supportive place for people living with cancer. And let’s not forget their loved ones.

When you send off your donation, crochet a cuddly gift blanket, have your hair shaved or sprayed at a Shavathon, support cancer research, undertake a fundraising challenge, or simply offer your caring encouragement, you make a difference.

You allow us to spread awareness resulting in early detection. This saves lives. You’re behind all our information on offer.

When you help to sponsor a Broviac you make treatment easier for young patients. A Broviac is a one-time insertion of a port through which blood vessels can be accessed. This takes away the need for regular finger pricks and other needle procedures needed for tests and medication.

You may not know exactly who benefits from that difference, but you trust us to deliver it to where it's needed most. This makes your trust another gift for which to thank you.

I can never say it enough times. At CANSA, we are the hands. You put the power and the tools into our hands. Starting with your generosity, everything else flows.

Whether you’re a contributing individual, a group, a business, or a sporting team, you are at the heart of what we do. Thank you, so much.

Youthfulness is No Barrier to Caring

Elize before and after her hair cut.

Nine-year old Elize van der Schyff had the most beautiful head of long hair. Never cut, only trimmed by her mother, it grew and grew, way past her waist.

Then last year she asked to have her hair cut. When asked for the reason she said, “I’ve had princess hair long enough, it’s someone else’s turn now”. Elize also said that she wanted to gift her hair to a little girl who is sick and doesn’t have hair at the moment to help her feel better. (‘Caring is sharing, as she loves to say’.)

Cut by a professional hair stylist who gave Elize a completely new look, and mother and daughter delivered the ponytail to the local CANSA office with a personal note from Elize.

Not everybody knows about our wig banks at some CANSA Care Centres. And it’s wonderful that someone as young as Elize has insight to how a wig can make a big difference to how somebody feels.

For patients who have lost their hair during chemotherapy treatment, this is where they can hire a wig to see them through until their natural hair grows back again.

Wigs are made from both synthetic and mostly human hair in a variety of styles and colours, making donations of hair particularly appreciated.

Donations of hair are always greatly appreciated. Not only because the hair is real, but also because of the caring that comes with them.

Doctor Shaves Head - A glimpse into the world of oncology

It takes a special kind of doctor to be an oncologist. The hours are long, and it’s emotionally draining dealing with the burdens of a life-threatening disease and its effects on patients.

Being so personal and up close with patients requires a lot of special caring in addition to medical expertise.

Dr Melissa Pietersen is a registrar in oncology in the Eastern Cape. One of the things she talks about is having to tell chemotherapy patients that they’re going to lose their hair.

Dr Pietersen says, “It’s a big thing to lose your hair. It’s part of your identity, and we need to acknowledge that loss”.

As a doctor, although she treats her patients as best she can, Dr Pietersen wanted to go the extra mile. She decided to walk in her patients’ shoes in a special way and have her hair shaved off.

“I’ve taken part in Shavathons before, but have always just sprayed my hair because I didn’t have to guts to cut it. I’m now able to tell my patients, from my own experience, that you can do this without having any hair. You can redefine yourself.”

In addition to her connection with her patients, there’s a strong history of cancer in Dr Pietersen’s family. Most of her aunts have had cancer, and her grandmother lost the battle with the disease. This makes her very familiar with the journey.

Giving hope to cancer patients through oncology is what matters most to her.

Introducing the CANSA Pain Manager App

One of the greatest fears for cancer patients is pain. And for their caregivers the management of pain can be a complicated responsibility.

The wonders of technology improve the quality of all our lives. And now the Pain Manager App comes in to address the important issue of pain.

Sponsored by Pfizer, CANSA in association with the Centre of Community Technology at Nelson Mandela University has launched a free Pain Manager App available on devices such as cellphones, tablets or laptops.

Alida Veldsman

This App was developed to assist patients and caregivers in understanding pain better, locating pain, identifying patterns and intensity of pain, administration of medication correctly and timeously in the management of pain, as well as providing reports that can be exported to medical personnel or oncologists.

Alida Veldsman, one of the first cancer patients to use the App, told us: “Sometimes I forget about things, and the App helps me to record the triggers, etc. It gives me a feeling of control over my cancer and pain. And it’s so easy to use and available at the touch of a button.”

‘Well done and thank you’ to the creators of this App and its sponsor. It will be gratefully used in the ongoing fight against cancer.

CANSA ’High Days and Happenings’

Wellness Day at Carnival City on 4 May

CANSA Services Department conducted screenings for staff members. These included breast examinations, Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA’s) and Pap smears. Spreading vital awareness and providing information is hugely supported by your donations. Thank you.

Hollard DareDevil

The brave Hollard DareDevil supported 2 677 PSA tests to detect prostate abnormalities in men. Reports came in about how many men have been encouraged to seek screening. Early detection results in saving lives. We thank the runners and their supporters. Other than free screenings, a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test can be done at any CANSA Care Centre at a cost of R180-00.

Mothers’ Day at TAFTA in Durban

A fun filled afternoon gave the opportunity for an educational talk on breast cancer with a demonstration of how to perform a breast self-examination. YES, breast cancer can occur at all ages, including in older women.

International Nurses Day on 12 May

The dedicated and passionate work of all our nurses should never be underestimated or forgotten. We salute them. Compassionate and kind, they help to fight cancer in South Africa.

Crochet for CANSA

Held at Brooklyn Mall in May, more than 165 ladies produced over 500 items and raised a sizeable amount of money to keep CANSA’s services sustainable.

The Loving Purpose of a Will

The primary purpose of anyone’s Will is to ensure the security of their loved ones when they’re no longer here to provide for them.

But it can also be more than that. If you have a cause that’s close to your heart which you support, leaving a bequest to that cause will sustain your generosity.

Should CANSA be a cause that you’d like to benefit or have already named as a beneficiary in your Will, we’d greatly appreciate knowing about it, so that we can thank you appropriately.

All communications of this nature are held in strict confidence to protect privacy.

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