Cancer survivor steps up to the plate
FOURWAYS- Sally Roberts was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 but has held a positive view on life and wants to give back.
A Fourways resident has fought cancer and emerged a stronger, better human being.
In 2006, Sally Roberts was diagnosed with Stage 5 breast cancer.
Aged just 35 and living an exciting life in Dubai, she was forced to face her mortality. “That was quite a bump down to earth” she said.
After a painfully tense flight back to South Africa Stein was informed that the disease had spread to her ribs, sternum, vertebrae and pelvis. And doctors told her that she probably only had two-and-a-half years to live, changing from the possibility of curing the disease to merely managing it.
However, on 16 March this year, Stein will be celebrating her eighth anniversary – or as she calls it “cancer-versary” – since her diagnosis.
She has remained confident and looks at life positively, attributing her success to her strong, supportive family and the good fortune of having decent medical treatment.
But though she survived, it has been a difficult, painful process.
Stein said, “The interventions I needed over time were a double mastectomy, radiation to both breasts, five separate courses of chemotherapy, hormone blocker medication, and five lung taps, a craniotomy to remove a brain tumour, and brain radiation on three tumour sites.”
These treatments, especially her courses of chemotherapy, left her with a reduced red blood cell count.
With this depletion of her blood cells and platelets, blood transfusions were vital and raised her cell count thus keeping her bone marrow disease under control.
In her attempt to give back she has held regular blood drives stating, “I feel so lucky that someone gave me their blood and saved my life, I think a blood drive saves the lives of others.”
Although she continuously struggles with her limitations from the disease, she lives a happy life and owns a business with her loving boyfriend, Noel, who has given her emotional support for the past three years.
Stein says her confidence stems from living one day at a time, and giving herself a goal every day – whether it be to do the laundry or go to the grocery store.
She will be holding a blood drive on 15 March at Fourways Crossing and invites everyone to participate and help save another life.
Details: sally.mpower@gmail.com
I know Sally fairly well and sadly this article does not reflect the intentions of bold donation. Having been a participant in a recent blood drive organized by Sally she wants to highlight the importance of donating blood not only to those in dire need due to an accident or trauma but to improve the quality of lives to those who are living with a terminal illness. The benefit received by Sally and so many others in a similar situation is that the receipt of blood enables them to enjoy an ongoing improved quality of life. This is not the first time I have been involved in a blood donation drive to support someone, who benefitted from an additional 2 years of quality filled life. Let’s rather focus on Saving and extending the quality of lives as opposed to focusing on the difficulties those have already faced.