Cancer can be an incredibly raw topic to write and speak about.
It seems it is difficult to find someone who doesn’t know somebody whose life has been touched by the disease.
Just at the beginning of February, John Mahoney, who starred in the American sitcom Frasier, died, suffering from health issues that included lung cancer. In late January, South Africa’s jazz legend Hugh Masekela passed away after his battle with prostate cancer.
In the lead-up to World Childhood Cancer Day on 15 February, discussions in our newsroom revealed just how tough it is for some of us to talk about how cancer has touched some of our loved ones’ lives.
However, it was amid this conversation that the Fourways Review reported on a story of inspiration as a community member, Kayla Richie told our journalist how she won her battle against lymphoma as a young girl.
Kayla went on to be the head girl at HeronBridge College last year and achieved eight distinctions in her matric finals, with an overall average of 92,3 per cent. Now, she is studying towards her degree in medicine.
Kayla said, “It might sound funny, but I’m grateful for it [lymphoma]. It taught me that you have to carry on, and it gave me an awful lot of perspective on life.” Her bravery and determination really are quite astounding.
So too was the sheer determination that thousands of our northern suburb community members demonstrated when they united in the fight against cancer on World Cancer Day on 4 February. They joined in solidarity at the Johannesburg Zoo for the first annual One Step at a Time Cancer Warrior Walk.
Among the cancer groups that supported the walk was CanSurvive Cancer Support, which runs groups for all who are affected by cancer. The group’s Chris Olivier explained, “Most cancer patients find relief and hope by talking to long-time survivors and comparing notes with others undergoing similar treatment to theirs.”
It goes to show that while cancer may be a difficult discussion for some of us, events such as the cancer warrior walk, and cancer support groups show the tremendous solidarity among our community members to fight against cancer, and, by stepping out to support others, we come across stories such as Kayla’s, which give us hope.
Share your thoughts with the group editor, Daniella Potter, by emailing daniellap@caxton.co.za
