Bowel cancer fighter runs Zumba event
It took seven days for Amelia TanMakhmalchi’s life to change drastically.
A doctor’s visit earlier this year about unexpected weight gain revealed an eggplant-sized tumour in her colon which had also spread to her ovary.
In a matter of days, it had ballooned to the size of a coconut and needed to be removed immediately.
One week later, her mother had arrived from Malaysia to take care of her and she was in surgery to get the tumour removed.
Tan-Makhmalchi, who lives on Auckland’s North Shore, is now undergoing six months of chemotherapy to beat the disease which has progressed to stage four.
‘‘I choose to believe I will be able to beat the cancer,’’ TanMakhmalchi says.
‘‘I don’t feel scared at all. I don’t really feel sad, sometimes I just feel grumpy.’’
Tan-Makhmalchi has been a Zumba instructor for about six years and hosts classes four times a week in west Auckland and on the North Shore.
She is organising a free health expo and Zumba charity event in November to fundraise for bowel cancer prevention and research and raise awareness about the disease.
At 47, she is too young for the free Bowel Screening Pilot, which is offered to people aged 50 to 74 in the Waitemata District Health Board region.
Without knowing the symptoms of bowel cancer, she didn’t know anything was wrong until she noticed her weight gain.
‘‘Lots of people can so easily get it and not even know.
‘‘It progresses really slow and can stay in your colon for up to five years and you wouldn’t know anything at all.’’
The health expo came about because her friends in the Zumba community wanted to do something for her.
Tan-Makhmalchi was initially reluctant, friend and fellow Zumba instructor Lleuarne Panoho says.
The free health expo is on November 4 from 4pm at The Trusts Arena in Henderson, with nutrition talks, massages, health checks, and merchandise for sale.
Aroha for Amelia, a Zumba masterclass with international instructors, is happening later that evening for $15 pre-paid or $20 at the door.
For information and tickets email pfawbt@gmail.com or call 021 361 515.