Cancer refined me: a survivor's story of hope and sisterhood

When cancer touched not just my life but my family's for the third time, I faced a choice: surrender to fear or become a beacon of hope. This is my story of how cancer didn't define me - it refined me, revealing the extraordinary strength found in sisterhood and the abundance that exists beyond illness, writes SULOSH PILLAY on World Cancer Day which was observed yesterday (February 4).

CANCER entered my life long before it touched my body. In 1986, my sister, Pama Naidoo, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
In 1995, my beloved mother faced cancer of the kidney.


And in 1998, it was my turn - colon cancer. Nothing on this physical plane prepares you for the moment you hear the words, “You have cancer”.

I still remember feeling light-headed as the results were handed to me, as though the ground beneath my feet had shifted.

Yet almost instinctively, I straightened myself, gathered my breath, and put on a brave face. I had already witnessed two fierce warriors in my family who refused to allow cancer to define them, and I knew I would do the same. Cancer did not define me. It refined me.

At first, I bargained with God. Slowly, I came to understand that this was my cross to bear. I had a choice: I could lie down and surrender to fear, or I could rise from the ashes and become a shining beacon of hope for others. I chose to rise.

There were days filled with fear and uncertainty, days when the word cancer felt synonymous with darkness and despair.

But even in the storm, a glimmer of light appeared - the unwavering love and support of the incredible women around me.

My family, my friends, and the powerful sisterhood that surrounded me carried me when I felt weak. Their compassion became my strength, and their faith in me kept me moving forward.

Through this journey, I learned that true abundance does not lie in the absence of problems or in material things.

True abundance lives in love, in compassion, and in the deep connections we form with one another.

It lives in the extraordinary resilience that every woman carries within her, waiting to awaken when life demands it most.

Along the path of treatments and uncertainty, I met other women fighting their own battles. We became a tribe of warriors, bonded by shared pain, shared courage, and shared hope.

In one another’s stories, we found inspiration. In one another’s eyes, we found strength.

Cancer taught me to see life differently. It taught me to cherish the simplest moments, to celebrate small victories, and to honour the power of a positive spirit. It showed me the abundance that exists all around us - the abundance of love, support, and the precious gift of life.

Today, I do not stand as a victim of cancer. I stand as a survivor. Cancer was a teacher.

It revealed the light within me and the extraordinary strength that emerges when women stand together. It has brought richness to my life in ways I could never have imagined - and if my story can bring even one person hope, then every step of this journey has had meaning.

Sulosh Pillay is the Head Mohanji Centre of Benevolence.

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media

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