October marks six years since Zoleka Mandela was first diagnosed with breast cancer and she’s incredibly grateful that emerged victorious against the disease.
In a heartfelt post Zoleka reflected on being one of the blessed few to beat the disease with the help of a strong support system around her.
“I am one of the lucky few who are heard, who don’t lose a job, a husband or friends as a result of a disease that can be beaten, who actually get to survive and tell their story, who are diagnosed and tested early enough at private hospitals, who can afford the medication prescribed (for 5-10yrs) to prevent recurrence, who have the opportunity to use platforms such as these to give real accounts of what being diagnosed with breast cancer entails, who don’t have to worry about paying more medical care than they can actually afford, who have graduated and still earn an income after beating cancer twice,” she said.
Zoleka questioned the impact the stigma attached to the disease had on other women who aren’t as privileged as her.
“But what about all those women who aren’t Zoleka Mandela and who continuously miss out on surviving the disease because of the difficulties still faced by millions of women – simply because of stigma, how much money they make, where they live in this world or who they are considered to be in society?”
Read her full post here: