Worcester Radiology is proud to have played a part in Woman of Hope’s very first public event.
Woman of Hope is a non-profit organisation FOR women who survived cancer BY women who survived cancer and was founded by photographer Liesl Basson, former resident of the Breede River region.
WOH held its very first event in Tulbagh on November 2 and Worcester Radiology had the privilege of contributing free gifts and information leaflets to every guest.
It was a chic and elegant ladies tea held at the beautiful Manley Wine Lodge in Tulbagh, in support of all warrior women fighting cancer or those supporting someone that is fighting cancer. The event was organised by ladies Erika Jordaan and Janel Webb and presented by Woman of Hope founder and leading warrior lady, Liesl Basson.
About 90 ladies of different ages were present on the day, the youngest being twelve years old and the eldest being in her late eighties. Ice cold Krone bubbly and fresh fruit juice were served on arrival and the room boomed with typical female chatter, especially since it was right before the 2019 Rugby World Cup final.
Many women who attended the event were greatly affected by cancer in one way or another. The morning kicked off with a heartfelt welcoming and a small spiritual message, after which WOH founder Liesl took the stage and shared more about her personal journey with breast cancer.
The morning was mainly focused on breast cancer awareness, and Riette Basson, senior diagnostic radiographer with an additional qualification in mammography at Worcester Radiology, was available to assist with any mammography-related questions and concerns.
Worcester Radiology sponsored each person a branded foil-lined bag, as well as free breast scans to five lucky ladies who were randomly selected on the morning. The bags were filled with pretty baked cookies, and many prizes were given away throughout the course of the morning.
The event also produced the perfect opportunity to launch WOH’s latest project, “The Journey Bag”, which is a tremendous aid for women with breast cancer, especially after receiving surgery.
Attendees were asked to write individual messages on floral notes that would be inserted into each bag as a message of encouragement and hope to those warrior women going through their treatment phase.
When it comes to early breast cancer detection, knowledge is key, and one of the day’s goals was to share as much information regarding the topic as possible, in order to assist women in ensuring a timely diagnosis so to receive speedy treatment and successful recovery.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among South African women and is diagnosed in patients as young as 14 years old, therefore self-examination and awareness of physical changes in the breasts are of the utmost importance.
Project Flamingo (also the beneficiary of Worcester Radiology’s October charity drive) was represented on the day and had their banner up in the promotion of their amazing fundraising efforts, assisting newly diagnosed women in the public sector to receive well-timed surgery where they would otherwise wait up to twelve weeks to have the much-needed, urgent medical treatment.
Despite the many emotional moments, the main message behind the day’s gathering was to encourage hope and determination: Advice, words of encouragement and a feeling of heartfelt support, unconditional love and reassurance were shared.
To end the morning off, Nicky Lonte from Niki Professional Makeup did a live demonstration on how the ladies could spruce up their appearance on those draining, tiring days when they don’t have the time or energy to spend hours in front of the mirror.
Not only is Niki also a breast cancer survivor, she is the founder of Warrior Women, a makeup workshop which have been designed specifically for ladies battling with the side-effects of cancer.
For stories of hope and support, visit Woman of Hope’s website at www.womanofhope.co.za.
Biscuits and bags – gifts by Worcester Radiology.