POLOKWANE – Women’s Month is dedicated to celebrating women and what a difference they make in society. One such woman is Kwena Kola.
“I put everything in God’s hands and told myself that I was going to conquer it no matter what. During that stage my left breast was full of tumours and the treatment made me quite ill but I decided to not give up. My message to others fighting breast cancer is to keep hope and remain positive, they will beat it,” she said.
“Even if one or both of your breasts need to be removed, remember it is not the end of the road.”
Kwena is one of the founders of the Conquerors of Cancer Survivor Group (CCSG) that offers support to people diagnosed with cancer, who have survived cancer and who have relatives living with cancer.
They also aim to raise cancer awareness, especially in rural communities, in order to remove the stigma often associated with the disease.
“It is important for people to join support groups and get to know about the different types of cancer. Don’t wait for difficult moments like I did. Let’s stand up to fight this and change our lifestyles by checking and watching the kind of food we eat, exercising, and going for regular screenings or self-examinations,” she added.
She explained CCSG is there to support, comfort, assist and help people of all walks of life living with cancer and they can be contacted at 072 576 9180 for more help or advice.
“People are different and will never experience the same side effects, all you can do is take each day as it comes. Breast cancer didn’t ruin my life, it changed me into a better and stronger individual. It also taught me how to prioritise my life and it was all worth it in the end. Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain,” she concluded.
