Cancer crisis
Busi’s sudden illness could be terminal, but help is at hand.
James is trying his best to help daughter Busi with her medical issue. Weekdays SABC2 (*192) 21:00
Busi (Bontle Sithole) gets a terrifying, life- changing diagnosis on Thursday 4 August. “She has cervical cancer,” Bontle explains. “The doctor dates this to back when her intimate relationship with the professor (Tsepo Desando) began [in April 2015].” This shocking storyline is very close to Bontle’s heart and the 21-year- old reveals that “I asked my mom for help as she is currently receiving treatment for cervical cancer. I also did more online research to try understand it better”. And while Bontle can discuss this topic with her mom, her character Busi, who’s also 21, finds it difficult to tell her dad James (Dingaan Mokebe). That’s why she asks her bestie Rendani (Innocentia Makapila) to break the news to him on Friday 5 August.
EMERGENCY ROOM
Busi’s dad is distraught and left speechless by his daughter’s diagnosis. “It is very hard for him to accept that his Dr Nthabeleng assists ailing Busi.
daughter is going through cancer and he tries to distance himself from her, but he soon comes to terms with the situation,” Bontle says. On Monday 8 August, James takes action and he calls his ex- girlfriend – Doctor Nthabeleng (Mona Monyane) – and begs her to examine Busi for a second opinion. Compassionately, Nthabeleng immediately agrees to help as she still has a soft spot for her ex’s daughter, despite Busi having given her the cold shoulder when Nthabeleng was dating James in April 2016.
Busi is admitted to hospital for an emergency operation later on Monday 8 August and says Bontle, “At this point, Busi is happy with what Nthabeleng’s done for her because she didn’t have to offer her services… but she did. Also, Busi is relieved to see that there was no fighting between Nthabeleng and James.”
RESEARCH DONE RIGHT
Bontle says that the Muvhango writers want the cancer storyline to highlight to young women that cancer affects everyone. “A lot of people believe that only older people get cancer and younger women don’t. This is a myth. It’s also a myth that only promiscuous women get cervical cancer. Cancer affects everyone and younger women must get regular pap smears,” explains the actress. After Bontle experienced the treatment process with her mom, she’s now more aware of the disease than ever and says that cervical cancer symptoms aren’t immediately recognisable, stressing that women need to get tests done before it’s too late for them. Bontle’s character experienced cramping, loss of appetite and exhaustion on Tuesday 2 August, but it was only when she visited the doctor on Thursday 4 August that Busi realised how serious it was. Bontle adds, “I’m 21 and do [pap smear] tests on a regular basis. I encourage young women to do the same.”
DON’T DO NOTHING!
On Tuesday 9 August, Busi begins her road to recovery and realises that this health scare would be more difficult to work through if she didn’t have the support of her family and friends. And while viewers won’t see Busi undergoing screening to make sure that her cancer doesn’t return, in the real world, pap smear tests should be done regularly: every three years for women under the ages of 49 and every five years from the age of 50 onwards.