Get yourself tested for cancer, resident urges others

Roxy Kruger wants people to know that if you have a family history of cancer and you see any symptoms that do not make sense, to get yourself tested for cancer.

This comes after her 81-year-old grandmother, Yvonne van Wyngaard, received the devastating news that she has rectal and colon cancer. In 2017 the News spoke to Roxy and her father Tony Pauwels, when he was diagnosed with Stage 3 leukaemia. Tony was diagnosed despite having no symptoms and no warnings, and now the same has happened to Yvonne, Tony’s mother.

Sadly Tony lost his battle with cancer and Roxy said that her grandmother’s diagnosis has opened old wounds.

She explained that when her grandmother started losing a lot of weight, their general practitioner prescribed iron tablets because her iron levels were low. When her iron levels did not pick up he sent her for tests which confirmed that she had cancer.

Yvonne, who adopted Roxy when she was still very young and was like a mother to her, has gone from a healthy 67kg to 49,2kg within a short period of time.

“I remember what my father went through and I do not want that for her as well,” Roxy said.

She explained that cancer runs in her family and has already claimed the lives of her dad, grandfather and uncles. She wants to warn people never to ignore symptoms and get checked.

“They told us my grandmother already had it three years before she was diagnosed,” she said.

Roxy said there are treatment options and her grandmother is still deciding on the next step; for now she is just enjoying her pets and family.