Every year, 4 February marks World Cancer Day. The aim of the day is to raise awareness about cancer – to prevent millions of unnecessary deaths every year.
Currently, globally about 8.8 million people die annually from cancer – four million of whom die prematurely (age 30 to 69).
Here are seven cancer survivor stories you should read on World Cancer Day.
Ten years ago Ray Funnell was diagnosed with leukaemia. Once he’d beaten the cancer, he decided he was going to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Ray shares his story.
‘I’m grateful my husband pushed me to have a mammogram’
Ruth Melim was diagnosed with stage 1A breast cancer in December 2016. Fortunately it was caught early after her husband pushed her to have a mammogram.
The diagnosis of cancer is not easy to digest. However, David Scott, a cancer survivor, learned a lot from the experience.
After beating cancer not once but twice, 28-year-old Simone van Kraayenburg is currently working on her autobiography.
Cancer is a subversive disease that sneaks through your body and spreads propaganda to anyone who’ll listen. I know – my own cells were subverted. Cancer survivor Paddy Hartdegen shares his story.
‘Cancer touches the lives of everyone around you‘
Linda Greeff was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 32. She shares how her role as an oncology social worker helped prepare her for her own journey.
‘I didn’t expect my health to return so quickly’
I realised pretty soon after my diagnosis with non-Hodgkins lympoma that a part of dealing with cancer is knowing there will be good days along with the bad ones, says TV presenter Xylon van Eyck.