Watch: The night that changed a paramedic’s life

“I did not expect anything like this at my age. I was 29 when I was diagnosed. I wasn’t prepared for it at all, but I suppose you never really are.”

On March 28, Lauren de Swardt (30), an intermediate life support (ILS) medic from the ER24 Witbank base, was diagnosed with Pulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, a rare type of lung cancer for which Lauren has already received 15 chemo sessions.

Lauren, who grew up in Kempton Park, attended to a little girl on scene in February, not realising that she’d also end up in hospital later that night. But it was Lauren’s injury on duty that possibly helped to save her life.

“I was treating a little girl in the back of the ambulance when a vehicle drove into us. Afterwards, when I went to hospital, they realised I had not only fractured a rib but also had lesions on my lungs,” said Lauren.

Thus, Lauren’s long and difficult journey began.

“The chemo has taken quite a toll on my body. I am very nauseous, lethargic and, of course, my hair started falling out after the first session. I shaved my head right to the very end. I didn’t want to be depressed as I saw these patches,” said Lauren.

Earlier this year, her family and crew members from the Witbank base showed their support by shaving their hair off.

“The support I received has been amazing. Not only from ER24 but from all my colleagues. It was quite an emotional day, but it was clear that I was not going through this alone,” said Lauren.

Unfortunately, cancer has played quite a big part in Lauren’s life even before being diagnosed herself. She’s lost her mother and a number of her close family members to this disease.

Despite all of this, Lauren remains unbelievably positive. This she attributes to her friends, colleagues, family and her bucket list.

“The support I’ve received from all my colleagues has been phenomenal, before and after my diagnosis. I also feel for the colleagues who, unfortunately, from June (she has been booked off from work since then) have had to cover my shifts. I feel terrible about it,” said Lauren.

Although Lauren started a bucket list in 2011, she continued with it this year not because she thought she was going to die but because she really wanted to celebrate her life now.

Some of the things she’s ticked off, with the help of friends, include the annual Greatest Train Race, the Jeep Warrior Race as well as a weekend away with some of her closest friends.

The Greatest Train Race, a race that starts in eMalahleni and ends in Middelburg, proved to be quite an emotional day for Lauren.

“I’ve always wanted to do the race. My friend Estie Biela opted to run the 15km race. Estie completed the first 10km on her own, and for the last 5km of the race she pushed me in a wheelchair to the end. I wasn’t allowed to run as this puts strain on my lungs,” said Lauren.

Estie is Lauren’s best friend and an operational paramedic at the ER24 Witbank base. She’s been by Lauren’s side from the start.

“I believe that God gave me the vision of life through this life-threatening illness. I really wish that people could see life the way I have – just without the sickness,” said Lauren.

Some of the other things on Lauren’s list include visiting Cape Town for the first time, skydiving and playing paintball.

The year 2017 might not have been the best for Lauren, but with only one more chemo session to go, she is adamant that she will be back at work sooner rather than later.

“Even if you are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, it shouldn’t be a life sentence. Your mind and your faith are so important. I believe that it doesn’t matter how bad things get, you can still get up. That’s what I did.”