Profile: Beating cancer for 36 years
At a centre for destitute people and there he met the love of his life, who became his pillar of strength despite her own hardships
He is a survivor; a living example of what people can go through and survive.
Michael (Mike) Bessinger is a 68-year-old who has been fighting silicosis cancer for 36 long years. Mr Bessinger was born in Johannesburg, and as an infant his parents migrated to Rhodesia, now known as Zimbabwe.
There he grew up in the harsh heat which was dubbed by locals as ‘suicide months.’ Ahead of Mr Bessinger’s 21st birthday, he was met with several tragedies. He survived a car accident that claimed his parents’ lives; he was just six-years-old.
“My grandfather then took me in but a year after that he had a sudden heart attack and with no one to care for me, my uncle took me in,” Mr Bessinger recalled with sadness.
The teenager grew up on a tobacco and game ranch near Shinoya. He had to leave the farm life while in grade 11 for basic training in the army. Mr Bessinger completed the training and was selected for the Special Air Services.
“After my 21st birthday, I got engaged to a Rhodesian woman who served in the British South African Police,” he reminisced.
The Bush War began getting more intense and one day Mr Bessinger was out on an operation when his parachute malfunctioned and left him with a broken wrist, leg as well as a dislocated collarbone.
His broken wrist did not stop him from joining a band and playing the drums three weeks following his injury. Mr Bessinger faced overwhelming situations but in spite of it all he found the strength to preserve.
“My fiancée was shot dead by terrorists, I found her in a pool of blood three days before our wedding and discovered the next day she was three-months pregnant,” he explained.
His entire life came crashing down and he turned to drugs to shut out the pain. The family home was then invaded by terrorists who held them up and this prompted a move to South Africa. In 1997 Mr Bessinger went into mining.
“I was part of the Rapid Development Team, which recorded for the most advances in rock busting in 1979. One day my team and I were trapped underground for four days,” told Mr Bessinger.
Mr Bessinger was diagnosed with silicosis cancer in 1980. At first he thought he had caught a cold but the cancer was a result of the accumulation of dust in the mine. His doctor at the time had to stop treatment due to his weak heart.
“I felt as if my whole life came crashing down on me and it was as if everything was one big bad dream,” he said.
Mr Bessinger roamed the streets of Boksburg and ended up at a centre for destitute people and there he met the love of his life, who became his pillar of strength despite her own hardships.
Mr Bessinger had several hospital visits for the cancer, blood transfusions and the heart attacks he suffered.
The couple settled in Estcourt in 2017. Mr Bessinger is out of remission but has stage four silicosis cancer.
He enjoys motivating others and making them laugh. The couple wishes to encourage people to donate blood to save lives and thank Anil Sookraj and Rena Licen for the inspiring role they play in their lives.
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