You’re so Appreciated!

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You’re so Appreciated!

Dear Friend

Message from Elize

As one year ends and another begins, I look back, and I also look forward.

Looking back, I see how you’ve continued to reach out to people living with cancer, even though times have still been difficult. Thank you for your constancy and your generosity.

Looking forward, I begin with a sense of hope that cancer patients and their families will still be able to rely on your compassionate caring during the coming year. And I add my commitment to taking your caring to wherever it may be needed.

I also offer my personal wishes for you and your loved ones. May you be healthy, may you be safe, may you be happy and hopeful, may you have peace of mind, and may you know how much you are appreciated.

Elize Joubert
Chief Executive Officer

Thank you – for the broviacs and stoma support

Many people have phobias. Often they don’t know what the cause is, but very often there’s a very real reason.

You’ll read Bobby Were’s story in this newsletter – his needle phobia came from childhood experiences. And he was helped through his treatment by means of a broviac.

Whilst Bobby’s story is that of an adult, we’re so grateful for your recent generosity in helping us to supply broviacs for children receiving cancer treatment at hospitals across the country.

It’s when you’ve experienced the hysteria and the trauma of a young child when they see another needle coming their way, that you understand the full impact of what a broviac can do.

Thank you.

You were also asked to help us support stoma patients. And again your understanding and kindness shone through, helping people to adjust and cope with the new way of life that a stoma brings. Thank you.

Living with, and surviving cancer is a tough journey. But it’s made easier when friends like you are a caring companion on that journey. Thank you.

”Someone out there is going to be so happy to have my hair.”– Amba Harty.

The gift of hair

Hair loss is a common side effect of chemotherapy treatment. It’s also a blow to self-confidence, one’s looks and sense of identity.

The space of time between hair loss and regrowth can feel very long, and having the use of a wig during that period makes a big difference.

There are two ways of giving the gift of hair. Cutting your own hair and donating it to be made into a wig for someone, as Elma Le Roux did.

The wig that was made from Elma Le Roux’s hair.

Elma was devastated when she heard that one of her oldest friends had been diagnosed with leukaemia and had started losing her hair with the first treatment, then shaved off the rest.

She knew that she couldn’t make her friend’s cancer go away, but because she’d always believed that her own long hair was her strength, she wanted to give that strength to her friend.

Elma’s 74cm long tresses were cut and turned into a beautiful hand knotted wig by CANSA partner Tymeless Necessity wig makers founded by Rani Chetty in 2019.

When Elma delivered the wig to her friend with a letter that she’d written, it was a very emotional day for everyone.

The other way of giving the gift of hair is to donate financially for the making and upkeep of wigs for cancer patients. Either way, you can make a very real difference in the life of someone fighting cancer.

A big ‘Thank You’ to those compassionate friends who sent donations towards wigs in August. And also to those who empathise enough to give their own hair to someone else.

Our Care Homes are a ’home away from home’ for cancer patients.

Andre, Chris and Henk share their thanks

Andre Bossner and Henk Hills both resided at the CANSA Tipuana Care Home in Pretoria whilst undergoing cancer treatment.

Andre felt truly ‘at home’ even though he was away from his own home, and staff became his ‘family’. He and his wife are promising to visit every time they’re again in the area.

For Henk Hills, the staff and other patients at Tipuana became part of his healing process. He prays that other patients will have the same support.

Chris Hougard lives a seven hour drive away from Groote Schuur Hospital where he was to undergo treatment. And it was the CANSA Eikehof Care Home that became his base. The hugs, the support and the care made this crisis time so much easier, and enabled him to make lifelong friends.

It's your support that keeps our Care Homes running. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

YES, men can and do get breast cancer – and overcome it

Bobby Were is one such man. And he very honestly describes how his male stubbornness led him decide for himself that the pea sized painless lump next to his nipple was ‘nothing’.

Referral by his doctor to a surgeon was ignored. And his male friends backed up his conviction that ‘it’s nothing and will go away’.

It was only when Bobby collected his wife, Linda, from an appointment with her doctor that he was pressed into a second examination. The doctor’s statement that ‘it’s cancer’ made him furious, but he agreed to see the surgeon who confirmed that it was cancer.

Surgical removal of the lump with several affected lymph nodes, and time in hospital started the process of Bobby’s letting go of his self-controlled life. It also set him on an emotional rollercoaster.

Next came the visit to the oncologist and chemotherapy which, Bobby decided would have to be done in pill form as he had a phobia about needles going back to his childhood. A port solved that problem. In his mind he was going to sail through the treatment and show how ‘men can handle anything’.

The side effects that some people suffer, including the loss of his hair, and the scarring on his chest were a levelling experience.

After five rounds of chemo, Bobby was given a break giving him time to totally revamp his garden which became a saving grace.

All that was left was radiation which was less stressful, and five years of tamoxifen tablets.

Despite everything, Bobby believes that his journey with cancer has been one of the greatest blessings in his life. It’s also given him enormous respect for women who receive a breast cancer diagnosis.

Most importantly, Bobby acknowledges that, ‘yes men can be diagnosed with breast cancer – and overcome it’.

Sonia Katzenberg

The ABC of early melanoma detection

Melanoma is the most deadly of the three types of skin cancer, with early detection being the key to successful treatment.

Awareness is covered by doing your own regular full body checks. This should include getting help to include those not easily seen areas like the scalp, buttocks and back, and using the simple ABC of Melanoma identification.

A is for Asymmetry, or the sides of the mole being differently shaped.

B is for Borders of the mole being irregular.

C is for Colour that’s not uniform.

D is for Diameter. Anything reaching a size larger than the eraser head of a pencil should be investigated.

E stands for Elevation – when a flat mole becomes raised.

F refers to anything ‘Funny looking’.

Besides doing your own body checks, it’s wise to also be periodically checked by a qualified dermatologist, especially if you’re someone who is prone to moles, or have already had instances of treatment for sun damage.

This ABC can save lives.

Sonia Katzenberg has been successfully living with melanoma for over fifteen years.

She remembers feeling invincible as a young person, and not taking care of her skin – falling asleep in the sun around the pool and never giving sunburn a thought. She says, “it’s only when melanoma happens and you come face to face with a message you don’t want to hear, that life suddenly becomes precious”.

Members of Teens Support Group recently took part in an art class.

Support for teens when a parent has cancer

The teenage years can be hard on young people, as they grapple with trying to find their place in the world with all its complexities.

Then add the fear and stress when a parent is diagnosed with cancer, and you have the situation that CANSA social worker Abeda Steenkamp recognised and decided to address the need by forming a support group for these teenagers.

Abeda is a breast cancer survivor herself and is based in Cape Town. She’d like you to meet some of the teens who belong to her support group:

Storme Julia is 14 years old and is ‘there’ for her Aunt Venecia.

Courtney is 16 and the eldest of five siblings. “My mommy is 36 and was diagnosed with stage three cancer. My daddy is also really sick.”

Seventeen year old Mingha’s mother has had a double mastectomy and is a year out of treatment.

Rodiefa tells how when her mom became ill with cancer three years ago it completely changed both her life and her sister’s. The worst was last year when Rodiefa was in matric.

And then there was this message from a phone call . . .

“When my mother was diagnosed with stage four metastatic breast cancer, my whole world came crumbling down. It was like losing part of myself.

I’m scared to lose her because then I’ll have to face everything and everyone alone. We’re trying to make the most of our time together.” (Heart icon)

Thank you for understanding, caring and helping to support these young people, Abeda. And for showing another way in which CANSA can help.

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