Cancer survivor: “ The disease is a beast anyone can overcome

When Merrygold Manana Moshoaliba (38) was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) in 2019, feelings of pain, fear and anger quickly flooded her mind.

“I felt mixed emotions because I was already familiar with the deadly disease; I nursed my mother when she was fighting for her life,” Merrygold said. “Fortunately, my mom is in remission and has been free from cancer for five years now.”
It took Merrygold jotting down in her personal journal to one day gain the strength to share her story with others.

“I am a very private person but I would always write how I was feeling. Little did I know that I was actually writing my book,” she said.
Merrygold says she would talk to the cancer daily. “Once I was diagnosed, l told myself I wasn’t going to let it control my life,” she explained.

“So I would write things like, ‘Hi Lump, today we’re doing a certain list of things,’ and that automatically set the tone for the rest of the day.”
However, the journey wasn’t as easy as it sounds for Merrygold. On days where she felt extremely sick and depressed, she drew strength from her 11-year-old daughter.

“ She has been my rock throughout this entire journey,” Merrygold said. “I didn’t realise how strong she was until she had to nurse me at my worst, I became the child and had to listen to her, but we have overcome the worst,” she laughed.

Merrygold says there have been a lot of ‘highs’ throughout her journey. When she was transferred to Potchefstroom Hospital for treatment, the staff made things bearable. “We often hear negative things about public hospitals but by God’s grace, I had a good experience. The staff was friendly and helpful throughout,” she shared.

On 1 July 2020, Merrygold went through her last round of chemotherapy and has been in remission ever since. She launched her book, ‘Scars of life’ on 29 October 2021 and continues to share her wonderful story with many.
“My book is for all those who have lost hope and are searching for motivation; it’s both educational and inspirational.”
If you want more information on how to get your hands on a copy, contact her on 062 239 5296.