Cancer-free teen rings bell in triumph

It was rather an emotional moment for Portia Nkosi, whose grandson rang the bell on October 18 to proudly mark the end of his treatment and celebrate his victory after defeating aggressive cancer.

Koketso Letsholo has ended the year on a good note after being diagnosed with classic Hodgkin’s lymphoma early this year. The teen has since been cleared of cancer and the future looks bright for the Grade Seven youngster.

“His whole journey started early last year when he fell seriously ill, though he kept having flu-like symptoms before that. We then took him to a doctor, and they suspected tuberculosis and cancer. Then last November, he had a lump on his neck, and when we took him to a paediatrician, they ran numerous tests,” explained Portia.

At the end of this February, a diagnosis confirmed that he had classic Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Koketso then joined Netcare Alberton Hospital, where he started his chemo, and as he progressed, he responded well to his treatment.

Having a rocky start to the journey, Koketso said he was over the moon and at a loss for words to describe his excitement.

“I’m extremely happy to finally ring the bell. This means a lot to me. I would advise those still going through the journey to hold on. They, too, will soon tell a story of their own. Most people survived it, and so will they. I’d like to thank Dr Tanya, Sister Precious and the entire hospital staff for holding my hand throughout this journey,” he said.

During the hospital’s momentous bell ringing, Koketso was showered with several goodies and presented with a medal of honour from Dr Tanya Schickerling. He also had his hands full of gifts from Cupcakes of Hope.

Dr Schickerling, of Netcare Alberton Hospital’s paediatric oncology unit, said: “He had been an absolute superstar; we’ve never struggled with him with anything. The cancer listened when we spoke and I’m happy to announce that the scan we did last week is completely clear.”