Teenagers volunteer to assist young cancer patients

So many deaths, diseases and suffering can be prevented through information and knowledge.

This is according to 13-year-old Tsebo Phakisi who recently volunteered at the Danone Clover CHOC House in Bloemfontein.

“We just need to see the opportunities to obtain this information and make use of it so that less of our family and friends are affected.”

Phakisi and her 15-year-old friend, Lebohang Mohbeli, both from Lesotho, spent a week as volunteers with young cancer patients at CHOC House in order to arm themselves with information about the disease.

The first few days, they were introduced to the routine of the house where they learned about childhood cancer as a disease, what its symptoms are, how to care for people with cancer, and what CHOC House does. In the last days, the girls had the opportunity to visit the cancer patients and meet their parents at Universitas Hospital.

CHOC house mother Rita Paich says it was a pleasure to have the teenagers as part of their team.

“It is wonderful to have children who want to help other children. This is my second year being the house mother at the Bloemfontein CHOC House, and I am constantly and wonderfully surprised at how many young people visit the house and volunteer with the young.” According to Mohbeli and Phakisi, the country puts too much focus on the HIV/Aids epidemic and everyone forgets that there are other illnesses that people need to be aware of and guard against.

“Members in both our families died of cancer. The sad thing about their deaths is that they were only diagnosed with the disease after they passed away. Our families did not know how to deal with it or what it meant to have cancer,” Tsebo said.

“This week we were given the opportunity to know that even though cancer takes an enormous emotional toll on everyone it touches, it is possible to survive the disease. This visit has made us stronger, wiser, and more compassionate to everyone who lives with the disease,” she added.

The teenagers also had the chance to meet and talk with the mothers who stay at CHOC House to support their children who are diagnosed with cancer. One of the new mothers they spent a lot of time with is Francinah Enoro (22) from Bethlehem.

“Francinah has to be strong when she does not even know where the strength will come from. She is truly an inspiration,” they said.

Enoro’s daughter was diagnosed with blood cancer in February at the age of one year and eight months.

“I am grateful that she is still alive. That is what drives me to wake up every morning. The fact that I am fortunate to spend as much time as possible with her and learn to be positive gives me hope that we are not running out of time,” Enoro said.

The Danone Clover CHOC Houses are sanctuaries where children who have cancer can be accommodated with their families during what can be traumatic treatment of the disease. The Bloemfontein CHOC House was opened on 23 August 2004.

According to CHOC Free State divisional manager Nicolene van den Heever, children are generally treated as outpatients at centres far from their homes. A safe and clean environment is a vital adjunct to the therapy that often weakens the patient’s immune system.

“Our aim is to provide a fully integrated support programme to alleviate as much stress and strain as possible, ensuring that both the children and their families maintain an optimistic outlook that is so crucial to a positive outcome.”

Van den Heever added that in South Africa, one in 600 children is affected by cancer before the age of 16. The encouraging news is that if it is diagnosed early, 70 to 85 percent of them can be cured.

“Parents should seek immediate medical help early for persistent symptoms. One can look for white spots in the eye, new squints, blindness, or bulging eyeballs. Other symptoms also range from lumps on the abdomen and pelvis, head and neck. Some children also have an unexplained fever for over two weeks, loss of weight and appetite, pallor, fatigue, or bleeding.”

Concerned parents in the province can contact CHOC House on 086 111 2316 or visit the house at 19 Stegman Street, Universitas, Bloemfontein.