There is no greater gift to a mother than welcoming their little ones to the world and enjoying every step of seeing them grow while creating a matchless bonding experience.
Mayberry Park’s Tanya, married to Johann de Bruin, is a resilient mother of two, despite her adversities.
The couple are parents to Ruben, their firstborn, who is 15 months old. And then, much to their surprise, at the beginning of the year, they found out they were expecting again.
With so much joy and eagerness, they had to wait until the end of January to meet the newest De Bruin family member.
“Finally the day arrived and we had our visit with the doctor. He said I needed to stop breastfeeding Ruben, as my body needed all the energy for the new baby. While there, I did mention to the doctor that I had a lump in my breast. Neither myself nor the doctor were concerned because I am young, I breastfed and had a small baby,” said Tanya.
At the beginning of February, the 32-year-old went for breast sonar and a few days later, had to go for a biopsy. Two days later, her life changed forever.
Turn of events
At the age of 32, she had to hear the news that she had breast cancer. A week later, she also found her father, Willie Strydom, had cancer.
With a heavy heart, she drove from one doctor to another to find out what the plan of action would be. As this went on, her father continued with his own cancer battle.
“On March 10, I received my first chemo. I had to wait to be in the second trimester of my pregnancy for me to safely start the chemotherapy. From there, I had to go for regular treatments for the next few months. In July, my specialist decided to take out my baby earlier for me to get new treatment, which would not have been safe for him,” she says.
On August 10, baby Divan was born at 35 weeks, weighing 2.1kg. He was discharged after just six days in the neonatal intensive care unit and the whole De Bruin family got to be together at home.
Much-needed assistance
“Here is the problem; I need to go for six sessions of immunotherapy. The medical aid does not want to cover the cost of the treatment and one session costs at least R82 000. I need about R500 000 for my treatment.
“I have since taken my plea to BackaBuddy and donations are slowly coming in,” says Tanya.
Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that helps one’s immune system fight cancer.
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the immune system helps one’s body fight infections and other illnesses. It comprises white blood cells, organs and tissues of the lymph system.
“Never in my life did I think I would have to ask other people for help like this, but I also never thought I would have cancer. One thing I am 100% certain of is that God is with me every step of the way,” she said.
If you can help Tanya, contact her at 071 897 2462 or via email at taneitjie@gmail.com
