The clinking of teacups and the aroma of freshly baked goods filled the air at the Table View Police Station on Friday (13 October) as cancer fighters, supporters and warriors came together for a high tea to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month has been celebrated every October for the last 90 years. It is called “Pink October” as people globally adopt the pink colour and display a pink ribbon to raise awareness about the importance of prevention and routine screening for the early diagnosis of breast cancer, now the most commonly diagnosed cancer globally.
The Table View police invited women to a special high tea event and awareness drive on gender-based violence.
Fighting cancer
At the event, the ladies raised their teacups for the fight against breast cancer – the guest speaker was Margie Jooste (45), a cancer fighter who shared her journey.
“I had my first cancer diagnosis in June 2017, but today I don’t want to talk about all the medical procedures but rather to motivate and inspire even if it is just one of you. Finding out I had cancer came as a shock because before my diagnosis, I was fit. We are a very active family, and always went cycling and hiking. The last thing I expected was breast cancer. We don’t have a family history of breast cancer,” she said.
While on her way home from a boxing class, Jooste was sweating and just by a slip of her hand, she felt a little “blob”.
“It was a blob that was not supposed to be there,”she said.
“The next day I went to the doctor and had an ultrasound and mammogram. The doctor said it could be one of many things and suggested I go for a biopsy. The next week I went for the biopsy. A piece of the tumour was sent to a pathologist,” she explained.
The results came back positive for breast cancer at age 39.
“It was a lot to take in. How do you prepare for something like that?” she said.
Jooste, a wife and mother of two girls, has a wonderful support system, including her mother, who joined her at the high tea.
“I have been blessed with six years and four months since my fist cancer diagnosis. If you could take anything from today it would be to always trust your instincts and always advocate for yourself. Nobody knows your body better than you do,” she said.
After the heartfelt talk from Jooste, Table View police spokesperson Capt Adriana Chandler presented the raffle winners, three winners for the best dressed and entertainment was provided by Capt Cyril Dicks from the Sea Point Police Station.
