MACHI FILOTIMO CANCER PROJECT
FILOTIMO CANCER CHAMPIONS
Welcome to our Filotimo Cancer Champions page
This addition to our project is aimed at identifying those amazing people, who in the face of adversity and against all the odds, not only survived..... but lived to tell their story.
We strongly believe that our ability to be able to reach more people is dependent on the growth of our Cancer Champion Program.
By identifying Cancer Survivors and Warriors, we are able to contribute positively to the mental and emotional well-being of all cancer warriors. Together we will change and impact lives!
As a Cancer Champion, you will be invited to take part in functions and events and to help reach out to our partners and affiliates. We hope that our Cancer Champions will assist us in growing our partnership base as well as promoting the project with their followers on all social media platforms as well as assisting the project in raising funds.
We invite you to share your story on our Cancer Champion's page. If you are interested please can you forward a one-page summary of your journey and some photographs that we can post on our website to evy@filotimo.org.za
WE ARE DEEPLY HUMBLED AND HONOURED TO BE PART OF YOUR EPIC JOURNEY
DIANNE CHRISTOPHERS
BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR
"ONE DAY YOUR STORY
WILL BE SOMEONE'S
SURVIVAL GUIDE".
MICHELLE DE GOUVEIA
TRIPLE NEGATIVE
BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR
"WHAT I CAN SAY, IS THAT I WANT TO LIVE MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD, FOR ALL THE REASONS A MOM DOES!"
jeremy
maritz
THYROID CANCER SURVIVOR
"GOD NEVER LEFT MY SIDE
AND CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN ME
TO THIS DAY"
DENISE MODLIN GOLDSTEIN
BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR
"LIFE IS A JOURNEY,
FOLLOW THE ROAD AND YOU WILL SUCCEED.
BE POSITIVE AND DON'T TAKE YOUR HEALTH FOR GRANTED!"
ABLE
MDHLULI
LEUKEMIA SURVIVOR
"KEEP STRIVING,
FOR GOD GIVES HIS
HARDEST BATTLES
TO HIS
STRONGEST SOLDIERS”
RHONA
JONES
BRAIN CANCER SURVIVOR
MY MOTTO IS....
"BE KINDER AND GENTLER"
EVERYONE YOU MEET IS FIGHTING SOME KIND OF BATTLE
NIKKI
PENNEL
BREAST CANCER WARRIOR
NIKKI TAKES MONTY PYTHON'S ADVICE TO
“ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE”
VERY SERIOUSLY!
MARIA
DA COSTA
BREAST & BONE CANCER WARRIOR
"FIGHT THE BATTLE AND
WIN THE RACE....
BY THE GRACE OF GOD"
LIZELLE
KNOTT
STAGE 4 METASTATIC BREAST CANCER THRIVER & LYMPHOMA SURVIVOR
“ATTITUDE IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ORDEAL AND AN ADVENTURE"
CLAUDIA
MENDES
SAVVIDES
CERVICAL CANCER SURVIVOR
“THE FIRE INSIDE ME BURNED BRIGHTER THAN THE FIRE AROUND ME"
CHANTELLE
DELPORT
MELANOMA CANCER WARRIOR
"GOD HAS BEEN GOOD TO ME
AND I HAVE SO MUCH FAITH
THAT I WILL BE HEALED!"
BRETT
ENSLIN
TESTICULAR CANCER SURVIVOR
"THE IDEA IS
NOT TO LIVE FOREVER,
BUT CREATE SOMETHING THAT WILL"
ANGELIQUE
LYNCH
BREAST CANCER
SURVIVOR
"MY HOPE IS THAT IN SHARING MY STORY
AND STRATEGIES, I CAN INSPIRE OTHERS TO BE BOLD IN THE BOARDROOM AND IN LIFE"
DANIELLA
VAN ZYL
LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKAEMIA SURVIVOR
"LEUKAEMIA CREPT UP ON ME AND TRULY KNOCKED ME OFF MY FEET"
SCHEBONN
DE WET
STAGE IV METASTATIC MELANOMA
SURVIVOR
"THE MEANING OF LIFE IS NOT SIMPLY TO EXIST, TO SURVIVE.... BUT TO MOVE AHEAD, TO GO UP, TO ACHIEVE, TO CONQUER!"
CATHERINE THOMPSON
NON-HODGKIN'S
T-CELL LYMPHOMA
SURVIVOR
"CONSTANT STRENGTH OF MIND AND TAKING THE STRESS OUT OF LIFE,
IS WHAT I TRY TO FOCUS ON"
NASTASYA
KOUMARAS
TRIPLE NEGATIVE
BREAST CANCER
WARRIOR
"SURGERY, CHEMO, FERTILITY TREATMENT AND RADIATION - I'VE DONE IT ALL,
BUT I ALWAYS SMILE"
BABETTE
LABUSCHAGNE
TRIPLE NEGATIVE
BREAST CANCER
WARRIOR
"VULNERABILITY IS NOT A WEAKNESS -
IT'S OUR GREATEST MEASURE OF COURAGE"
DRIKA
LOUW
BREAST CANCER
SURVIVOR
"BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
DO NOT DOUBT YOURSELF IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE"
NIKOLAOS
ANGELOPOULOS
PNET (primitive neuroectodermal tumor)
SURVIVOR
"A SUPPORTIVE FAMILY, A POSITIVE ATTITUDE,
STAYING POSTIVE, BEING COURAGEOUS
A FIGHTING SPIRIT & FAITH IN GOD"
NANIKI
SEBONI
MELANOMA CANCER
SURVIVOR
"SPEAKING IS A PRIVILEGE FOR ME,
I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO POSITIVELY
CHANGE SOMEONE'S LIFE"
CHANEZ
ERASMUS
SYNOVIAL SARCOMA
SURVIVOR
"FIGHT YOUR BATTLE AND
WEAR YOUR SCARES WITH PRIDE....
IT IS PART OF WHAT MAKES YOU, YOU, AND YOU ARE PERFECT!"
BIANCA
BORRILL
PAPILLARY THYROID
CARCINOMA SURVIVOR
"WE ONLY HAVE ONE LIFE,
WE NEED TO LIVE IT TO THE FULLEST"
ROMY-ANNE
REYNEKE
TRIPLE NEGATIVE
BREAST CANCER
SURVIVOR
"I WILL TAKE THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY.
I WILL COME OUT ON TOP &
I WILL BE HERE FOR A LONG TIME.
I HAVE WAY TOO MANY THINGS TO DO STILL
IN MY LIFE"
ALEXIA
OLIVER
PRIMARY MEDIASTINAL
DIFFUSE LARGE B-CELL
NON-HODGKIN'S LYMPHOMA
CANCER SURVIVOR
“THOSE WHO HAVE A WHY TO LIVE, CAN BEAR WITH ALMOST ANY HOW"
DOMINIQUE
SWART
STAGE 2
TRIPLE NEGATIVE
BREAST CANCER
SURVIVOR
“I LEANED HEAVILY INTO MY FAITH -
I WOULD NEVER HAVE GOT THROUGH THIS PROCESS WITHOUT
MY GOD WITH ME”
ADERA
KACHIENGA
STAGE 0 & STAGE 1
INVASIVE
BREAST CANCER HR2+
SURVIVOR
“YEAH.. TAKING IT ONE DAY AT A TIME”
JOANNA
NAICKER
COLON CANCER
STAGE 4
WARRIOR
“NO ONE ESCAPES PAIN, FEAR AND SUFFERING.
YET FROM PAIN CAN COME WISDOM, FROM FEAR CAN COME COURAGE, FROM SUFFERING CAN COME STRENGTH -
IF WE HAVE THE VIRTUE OF RESILIENCE”
NINA
HAMPTON
BREAST CANCER
WARRIOR
INVASIVE DUCTAL CARCINOMA STAGE 1, GRADE 2
“ONE DAY YOU WILL TELL YOUR STORY OF HOW YOU'VE OVERCOME WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH NOW, AND IT WILL BECOME PART OF SOMEONE ELSE'S SURVIVAL GUIDE"
KIRSTEN
OSBORN
COLON CANCER
STAGE 4
WARRIOR
“MY THEM THAT I SHARE WITH
EVERYONE THAT KNOWS ME IS...
NOT TODAY!!!"
ASHLEIGH
CARADAS
BREAST CANCER
SURVIVOR
“I am truly grateful for my life. Having a strong will to live is essential to survival. I threw all that I had into my passions and decided to just live it up and carry on doing all the things that make me happy"
NIKOLA
STRACHAN
STAGE 3 MELANOMA WARRIOR
“I have realised that I AM A WARRIOR and will not let this stop me from living an adventurous and meaningful life and making fantastic memories along the way."
NATASHA
BROWN
BRAIN CANCER
WARRIOR
“I have come this far and I am stronger than anyone thought I could be - giving up was never an option"
AMBER
WRIGHT
BREAST CANCER
WARRIOR
“I have come to rely on 2 pillars in my life: my faith and my family.
They are what have brought me through the most challenging thing that I have ever had to face"
HESTER
OKOH
STAGE 4 LUNG CANCER
WARRIOR
“I am still alive years later to testify on how I have survived and managed to defy such a hopeless medical verdict through my stubborn and enduring faith in God".
RAQUEL
NEILSON
TRIPPLE NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER
WARRIOR
“I am one blessed girl. I have had the most incredible amount of support and love. On the days I didn’t have the strength, sense of humour and energy, my family and friends had it for me".
ERIC
PROUDFOOT
MELANOMA CANCER
WARRIOR
“It’s now time for me to show some GRIT. My GRIT journey has just started and I intend to make my kids proud"
DENISE
REDDY
BREAST CANCER
WARRIOR
"I thank God
for his grace and mercy every day
for taking me out of this situation....
and into a brand new life."
CHANTEL
OELOFSE
BREAST CANCER
WARRIOR
"Every single person is fighting some or other battle. Even while struggling with adversity, each of us can still be a light in someone else's life. So be THAT person...the one that actually cares and makes a difference!".
ALEX AZAB TSAURA
BREAST CANCER
WARRIOR
"When I researched about it, I got the shock of my life....men have breasts too and they can have breast cancer!".
KIM
GILLOT
BREAST CANCER
THRIVER
"Breast Cancer has taken so much from me, I accept that, I will not be defined by it and I choose to have a positive outlook and inspire others and above all I am a Thriver'.
MPUMELELO
UBISI
BREAST CANCER
WARRIOR
"I have an amazing partner who encourages me everyday,
reminds me why I have to live....."
JACKIE
MOSSELSON
BREAST CANCER
WARRIOR
But I have big mountains that I still plan to climb and cancer will not steal that from me!
KAREN STEYN
BREAST CANCER
WARRIOR
Life taught me:
There is hope in the dark. I must believe that God is good when life is not.
God is good all the time.
TRACY STODDART
CERVICAL CANCER
WARRIOR
My cancer journey was something I was going to deal with and then sweep it under the carpet and carry on with my life.
But after watching my cousin, Nikki Pennel, and the way she handled her journey, she inspired me to be open about my experience.
NTOKOZO DLUDLA
BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR
& CANCER PATIENT NAVIGATOR
My journey is been interesting when I look back now.... I am able to say that if you stay positive anything is possible!
CLAUDETTE FINDLAY
T-CELL ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA WARRIOR
I’m 26 years old, not even 30 yet & have been diagnosed with cancer 3 times & survived sepsis.
My goal is to get my bone marrow transplant & never to deal with the ugly big “C again”.
SHOBA RAMDIN
LUNG CANCER WARRIOR
"I went for the second dose of my vaccination, after which I had flu and a week later developed a cough... and my journey began”
LUCILLE SIGABAN
BREAST CANCER WARRIOR
"A note to all Cancer fighters out there Cancer is not a nice thing but just have a positive mind and fight like you have never fought before and that will keep you strong. Don’t give up!t's easy.
CHRISTELLE FITZELL
BREAST CANCER WARRIOR
"3 September 2020, everything and anything I thought I knew about myself and life, changed in minutes. Mammogram & Ultrasound was done and while waiting in the seated area I was called in for biopsy - its painful & uncomfortable and while lying there I just knew!"
ALEXIS KALLIGIANNIS
LIVER CANCER SURVIVOR
"Cancer is a part of my life, but it’s not my whole life. When days seem dark, I know to hang on – to see the sunrise yet again. Another day I have conquered!"
LINDIE LIEBENBERG
BREAST CANCER WARRIOR
"You never know how strong you are,
till being strong is your only option!"
