Project Flamingo spreads wings to aid cancer patients

TWELVE years after starting out, Project Flamingo continues to spread its wings to restore hope to breast cancer patients, with two more expansions in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape.

On September 2, a team of volunteers from the project performed its first free mastectomy at the Eerste River Hospital, with the aim of reducing pressure at the local hospitals.

This is a third hospital in the province to benefit from their free service, after Groote Schuur and Tygerberg.

Founder Dr Liana Roodt, a surgeon at Groote Schuur, said that while East London established a team to reduce pressure from around the Eastern Cape, Eerste River was considered to “reduce pressure from Tygerberg as the demand kept growing, and we couldn’t access the facility as much as needed to speed up the processes.

“The same team of volunteers will now alternate between the two hospitals and hopefully manage to keep the waiting period at minimum, from six months to about four weeks per patient.

“We hope to do the same at Cecilia Makiwane, which is a tremendous growth for us as an organisation," said Roodt.

Dr Michael Brombacher, a volunteer from East London, said they have performed two surgeries and reached 10 patients. He said the responses had been amazing and he hoped the new facilities receive much-needed support.

Dr Lwazi Nongogo in Gqeberha said breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women in South Africa.

“Early detection is key and any changes in one’s breast, especially after the age of 50 must be seen by a clinician as cancer care is individualised,” Nongogo said.

Roodt said benefiting patients are referred to them by the hospitals and all receive counselling and goody bags on the day of their operations.

Costs are covered through fund-raising initiatives, which this year include a Fun Run at Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in Green Point next month. For more information, visit Project Flamingo Facebook page.

Abulele Dyasi, spokesperson for the Western Cape Health Department said: “According to the cancer registry, the most common age for women to be diagnosed with breast cancer in South Africa is between 60 and 64, and one in 25 women will be diagnosed with cancer at some time in their life.

“Eerste River Hospital provides theatre space and ward care, made possible by the partnership.

“We intend to proceed with this arrangement on the first Friday of each month for the remainder of the year, booking two patients per list,” said Dyasi.

SUPPLIED VOLUNTEERS of the newly established Project Flamingo from the Cecilia Makhiwane Hospital in East London. |