Show your support at the CANSA shavathon

I have never seen anybody fight harder to stay alive than my own grandfather. There were nights when, as I child, I thought ‘Big-daddy’ would drown in a river of his own vomit.

I remember holding him tightly in a panic, praying that the frightening retching would stop. I remember how emotional he became knowing that the end was inevitable. Even the fictional drama that unfolded in his favourite movies was enough to bring on a torrent of tears.

I remember his faith turned to desperation as he called on every deity he could think of to give him a little more time, as he lost his sense of smell and then his sight and finally consciousness as he slipped into a coma.

The nightmare he lived after hearing the words, “You have cancer,” however, are undeniably interwoven with glimmers of happiness, of hope and of love.

Preparing me for the class ‘show and tell’ by teaching me how to dazzle by performing the world’s corniest magic tricks, for example. Him holding hands with my grandmother and eating ice-cream while taking a quiet stroll on the beach after a chemo treatment. Singing on his work intercom system like a lunatic, while he cheered in the background… proof that his ailment could wreak havoc on his body, but held no claim to his gentle, fun-loving soul.

The closeness that my family shared with this man, the patriarch of our family, makes me feel that joining CANSA is the predestined path that my life was meant to take. While, as a journalist, I have always had the community’s best interests at heart, this is an opportunity to truly make a difference and hopefully, in doing so, make my grandfather proud too.

In the last month, however, I have come to realise that I cannot win the battle against the terrible void that this dread disease has created in the lives of so many, on my own. It takes the commitment and the involvement of a caring community to truly make a difference. Together, we can leave a lasting legacy of hope in the fight against cancer.

I hope that you all will show your support at the Shavathon events planned for February and March. Whether you choose to spray, gel, wrap or shave your hair this year, it is still a significant act of solidarity toward a cancer patient, who loses his or her hair when undergoing treatment.

I would just like to take a little time to offer a heartfelt thanks to former Idols winner and accomplished South African musician, Heinz Winckler, for agreeing to interact with participants at the Shavathon at the Newcastle Mall on March 1, to Newcastle mayor, Afzul Rehman, and his wife, Farhana, for their support, and to everyone who has volunteered their time to make arrangements or assist on the day. Finally, I would like to thank you in advance. Your contribution counts.