Cansa commemorates Childhood cancer awareness month
The NGO highlights its local lodge in the district and new programme launched for young survivors.
September is Childhood Cancer awareness month and Cansa wants to bring awareness to the challenges adolescent patients face.
The NGO highlights the services offered to local adolescents and young adults during September as well.
The Cansa tough living with cancer (TLC) Nicus Lodge is located within Tshwane district hospital.
With access to treatment being an ever-present hurdle for families to jump over, the lodge offers a haven for families that can’t afford back-and-forth trips.
A significant feature of the lodge is that parents and guardians can stay free of charge for the entire duration of their child’s treatment.
Fifty beds are available and the lodge’s doors are open 24/7 year round, ensuring parents have a refuge when they need it most.
Anina Meiring, Cansa national manager of Childhood cancer services said: “In September, we have a wonderful opportunity to help better the lives of young patients. We’re committed to providing ports, broviacs plus nutritional and prosthetic support to kids, teens and young adults impacted by cancer.”
Broviacs are used for critical chemotherapy infusions, administration of medicines/fluids and repetitive blood draws. These devices help avoid the trauma of having needles inserted into the young patients repetitively during treatment.
Ports are more convenient for short, intermittent uses.
“Thanks to the generosity of the King Baudouin foundation, we already gifted children who have lost an eye with artificial eyes within the first few days of September. This drive enables us to visit various hospitals and support young cancer patients in managing the pain and discomfort that comes with cancer treatment,” Meiring said.
Families from other provinces and neighbouring countries view Nicus Lodge as a lifeline. It cuts the stress of finding accommodation near treatment centres and eases transportation costs.
Some families arrive without toiletries, adequate clothing for an extended stay, or personal hygiene products, and the lodge steps in to bridge these gaps.
Some of the residents of Nicus Lodge had the following to say in honour of Childhood Cancer awareness month:
Gugulethu: “Sometimes we arrive at night, waiting for a doctor, it can’t be easy if there is no Nicus lodge. Sometimes the ward is full and if we arrive and there is no space we must go home. I am coming from the other side of Malelane close to the Mozambique border, and we come here, and the space is full. It is far to travel and return with hope just to be disappointed. Nicus Lodge is making a huge difference helping us to always have a home to go to.”
Nokubonga: “I am a mum of a toddler of four years. He has cancer and we are living close to the Swaziland border. We must travel for about nine hours because we first must go to another hospital to transport us here. If Nicus Lodge wasn’t here I would have to send my baby alone to a strange place. I don’t know if I could do that. Having a place like this helps me a lot in everything. We’re supported and they treat us very well at Nicus Lodge. It is easier to accept my child’s condition when I befriend everyone at the lodge. They tell me what I need to know, and I can ask questions if I am worried. We eat well and sleep comfortably.”
Anja (12): “I have acute lymphocytic leukaemia and was diagnosed in Mpumalanga. I have been living in the Nicus Lodge since January. It is like a home to me, and I stay here while I receive treatment. It makes life much easier because transport is a huge problem for us. We don’t have a car. I am doing well with my treatment.”
Adolescents with cancer are encouraged to join the Cansa Free2Bme programme, designed to be a platform where individuals can find a community, resources, and inspiration to help them embrace their individuality and confidently overcome the hurdles that come with cancer.
Cansa Free2Bme offers information, activities and services that encourage personal growth, emotional resilience and social connections.
For more information, visit: cansa.org.za/teen-and-young-adult-support/
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