Survivors rally together to show cancer can be beaten
"One can express empathy with a cancer survivor or person with a similar disease, but unless you have walked the walk, you can never truly understand the challenges involved."
Ticky Martyn had stage 4 cancer. The doctors gave him two months. He is a survivor. His attitude towards life and that which is truly important, changed – forever!
He now chases the important stuff – family, friends and his dreams. Rallying is another of these.
He and his navigator, Jaco Vorster, just won their first rally in Bronkhortspruit a couple of weeks ago. This weekend they will do their first national and the intention is to, again, win their class.
To support and show younger cancer patients and survivors there is always hope if you put your mind to it, he invited, with the help of the Izelle Pretorius of the Move Mountains organisation, Sean Adlem, a 13-year-old survivor, to experience the thrill of rallying.
“Sean played rugby at school,” said his mom, Amor. “He has always been a little larger than his friends in his class and when, at age 12, he complained about discomfort in his back, we considered it part of the rugby and sport activity.
“On April 10, 2019, however, we took him to the doctor. Tests were done and he was diagnosed with a defect in the backbone. Exercise to correct the alignment did not yield the required results; in fact, it worsened it to the point where his legs became paralysed and we had to take him to a hospital. His dad, Patrick, also developed a back problem and at one point, he was in a hospital in Pretoria for a fusion while Sean was at the Union Hospital in Alberton. Tests showed a growth on Sean’s spinal cord. He was operated on to relieve the pressure on the cord and he spent 10 days in ICU.
“He was eventually diagnosed with bone cancer which damaged the T7 vertebrae in his spine. Fortunately, our paths crossed with a pediatric oncologist from the Clinton Hospital,” said Amor. “We shared all and everything with Sean who illustrated amazing emotional intelligence throughout the whole ordeal. He started with chemo treatment and in the next six weeks he recovered to the extent that he could walk again.”
In September 2019 the family went to the UCT Hospital in Cape Town where Sean underwent five hours of reconstructive surgery on the damaged T7 vertebrae. Maintenance chemo followed until February 2020. “His cancer has been in remission since and we are just so grateful – not just for the recovery, but also for everyone who supported us during this trying, yet amazing, journey.”
“You have one life; don’t waste it,” said Sean. “God took us into an extremely intense now – today – this moment – where we had to focus on only that which is now, where you did not know what you knew,” said Amor.
Did he enjoy the drive in the rally car with Ticky? Words were few, but the smile and the quiet and humble expression on his face said it all.
