Diepsloot Cancer Awareness Walk: 10 000 South Africans are diagnosed with cancer every year
DIEPSLOOT – On 20 October the Diepsloot community took part in a Cancer Awareness Walk and learned about how they can fight the disease.
According to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), about 10 000 South Africans are diagnosed with some form of the disease every year.
Although October is breast cancer awareness month, the Momes Foundation and the Sedumedi Hope Foundation hosted a Cancer Awareness Walk in Diepsloot on 20 October to raise awareness about all forms of the disease amongst residents in the township, both men and women.
The 5km walk began and ended at the Diepsloot Youth Centre on Ingonyama Road, and hundreds of participants travelled the streets in distinctive pink and white clothing during the walk.
The event took place from 7am until about midday and saw a variety of speakers, including local councillor for the area Kate Mphahlela, chairperson of the Momes Foundation Nonhlakanipho Nedzamba and a special keynote address by Gauteng MEC for Health Dr Gwen Ramokgopa, who called for Diepsloot citizens to make their health a priority.
Perhaps the guest speaker who had the greatest impact on the audience was Refilwe Sedumedi, a radio personality, motivational speaker and cancer survivor who founded the Sedumedi Hope Foundation after her own battle with the disease.
“In 2013 I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer,” she said from the stage, wearing a pink hairstyle in honour of the day.
“I had the lump [on her left breast] for two or three years before I went to the doctor – an action I do not condone – because I lost my mother to a brain tumour in 2004 and was unwilling to put myself through that.
“I had to have surgery to remove the [cancerous] lymph nodes and then underwent chemotherapy. I am now cancer free.”
Sedumedi told the audience that cancer is everyone’s issue and one does not need to be infected to be affected by the disease. She encouraged people to get screened regularly, particularly women who should have mammograms once a year, and must act quickly when potential symptoms appear.
“If I hadn’t gone through what I went through, I wouldn’t be who I am today. We must fight and fight until we get to the finish line, it doesn’t matter how many times we fall,” she concluded to a standing ovation.
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Also check out:
https://www.citizen.co.za/fourways-review/290319/new-immunotherapy-annihilates-advanced-breast-cancer/
