Dina, South Africa

My Cancer Story: A Fierce Love for Life

A few years ago, I found a melanoma on my nose. It was small, but its impact on me was immense. I had it removed, and my nose was rebuilt. It was my first taste of the battle ahead, but even in that moment, I wasn’t ready to fully understand the strength that was about to awaken within me.

Then, in 2021, bone marrow cancer entered my life—uninvited, relentless. I could feel it, creeping into my bones, testing me in ways I never thought possible. The treatments came—harsh, draining, relentless. I knew the truth: remission would never come for me. I would never be free from this. And on many days, the dark clouds were thick. The pain, the exhaustion, the fear—it made me want to fall into that deep, endless hole where everything would fade. But here's the thing I realized, even as I struggled to breathe through it all—I am not defined by the darkness.

I chose light. I chose to live. Even when it felt impossible, I smiled. I found joy in every step, no matter how painful. I looked around me, at the people I loved, at the connections that grounded me—and I realized: life is a gift. Every hug, every smile, every word exchanged was a miracle. And I held onto that. With everything I had.

I danced through life, even when my body felt broken. When my kidneys rebelled, when exhaustion was a constant shadow, I didn't stop. I celebrated every tiny victory. I danced at weddings, I laughed with my staff of over 20 years, who had been with me through thick and thin. And I felt their love—warm, solid, unbreakable. No matter what cancer threw my way, nothing could take away the beauty of these moments. Life was still mine.

Then came another diagnosis—breast cancer, aggressive and fast. I stared at the surgeon, knowing that I was about to lose something that made me feel whole. But do you know what I did? I refused to let the cancer take my joy. I put on my brightest dresses, I wore bells around my ankles, and I twirled through the chaos. I embraced life like never before—because even in the hardest moments, there is beauty to be found. There is joy in being alive.

After my double mastectomy, I was finally preparing to feel whole again—when the universe threw another curveball at me. Back pain that wouldn't relent, and soon, melanoma returned, this time on my back. But I didn’t let it break me. No, I made a choice. I chose my breasts back, because I knew the power of the joy I had found within myself. I would deal with the cancer later.

Six hours of surgery later, I laid in the quiet of the hospital room, and I knew in my heart that I had been given another chance. Another chance to live. And I promised myself, I would never take a single breath for granted.

Because life—this beautiful, messy, fleeting life—is all I have. I’ve learned that every second is a gift. And no matter how much pain I endure, how many treatments or surgeries or setbacks I face, I will keep fighting—not just for myself, but for all the love, laughter, and joy I can experience with the people around me.

This is my life, and I will live it with everything I have.

In 2023, I had the incredible honor of hosting Factory Plaza’s first-ever Breast Cancer Awareness seminar. I stood in front of that room, sharing my story, and little did I know that the second seminar would be about me. But the power of this moment wasn’t lost on me. I was still here. I was standing. I was alive.

And I’ve realized something that goes deeper than any diagnosis, any surgery, or any setback: I am not my illness. I am my joy. I am the love I give, the smiles I share, the moments of connection that remind me how beautiful life is. It’s mind over matter, because I will always choose to experience the joy of life, even when it feels impossible.

I learned to say, “I am not the pain. I am not the nausea. I am joy.”

And now, as I step forward, I do so with a heart full of gratitude. I have been given so many chances—chances to stand up, to love, to live. Every breath is a blessing. Every person I meet, a gift. And every challenge, a chance to rise again.

Life is beautiful. I am beautiful. And I am choosing to live it with everything I’ve got.