Community rallies to help cancer-stricken teenager
A CALL for divine intervention and financial support has gone out for a courageous teen who has been battling cancer for four years.
Amanda Ndlovu (17) from Empangeni was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2019 at the tender age of 13 and has been battling the disease since then.
“I don’t how to be a normal teenager because for so long I have been under medical care, and in and out of hospital. I had to drop out of school because of long hospital admissions,” she said.
According to Amanda, when she was diagnosed with marrow infiltration by Hodgkin's Lymphoma, she had enlargement of the lymph nodes, and suffered night sweats and painful feet.
She was admitted to King Edward Hospital in November 2019 for chemotherapy, and completed eight cycles of ABVD from then until June 2020.
Amanda has subsequently been subjected to many cycles of treatment, including four cycles of IGEV and six of Brentuximab Vedotin, apart from the ABVD cycles.
Despite this, she continues to relapse as the disease progresses.
While this brave young woman continues to receive OPEC chemotherapy treatment at Albert Luthuli Hospital, her specialists believe a different but costly treatment could be beneficial.
“The patient will benefit from an autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplant, but she needs to attain at least a good partial response to therapy before this avenue can be explored.
“There are limited options available in the State sector to assist with improving her response, and the family has been counselled to explore options in the private sector.
“That could include a PD1 inhibitor in her treatment, which has shown to be effective in the relapsed or refractory setting.
“For financial reasons, the family cannot afford medical aid, nor can they fund PD1 inhibitors privately. They are keen on attempting crowd-funding to privately source a PD1 inhibitor (Nivolumab or Pembrolizumab),” states a clinic letter from Albert Luthuli Hospital, signed by specialist physician and clinical haematologist, Dr Farah Rahman.
“May God bless those who are willing to donate. I pray that one day I will be healed and have the strength to finish school and become a radiographer,” said Amanda.
“After spending many years in hospitals, I realised they are all short of radiographers. I want to be in the medical field so I can assist others and be part of their healing.”
Compassionate Zululanders are rallying to raise funds for Amanda's treatment. A social media poster has been shared as locals spread the word to reach a larger audience.
The family needs to raise in excess of R100 000 for one cycle of the recommended treatment.
For more information, contact Amanda's mother, Phumelele Ngema on
072 7889597 or
073 2048487.