Fighting cancer with flip flops

The CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation held its annual Flip Flop Day fund-raiser, last Friday, at the CHOC home in Sybrand Park where Wakeel Greeff, 16, of Ottery, told how he overcame cancer.

Wakeel was first diagnosed at the age of 5. “My granny noticed that there was a squint in my eye and took me to the clinic,” he said.

His grandmother, Kariema Greeff, took him to Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital where he was diagnosed with brain cancer.

He underwent several operations over the next seven years and he still goes for regular check-ups at the hospital.

“I am very lucky I survived the operations,” he said. “Many of my friends at Red Cross passed away, unfortunately.”

Wakeel, who is a Grade 10 pupil at Pelican Park High School, said he would like to work in IT.

CHOC hospital volunteer Marjorie George said she felt privileged to support the families of children with cancer. “When many of the families first arrive at the hospital, they are unsure, so we have a table where we give them, tea and coffee and muffins.”

The families tended to open up to the volunteers over a cup of tea or coffee, she said.

CHOC’s regional manager, Lynette Muthuray, said there had been a good response from schools and the general public in the province to the fund-raiser and they hoped it would continue to grow elsewhere in the country.

Visit www.choc.org.za for more information about the foundation.