Personal message

Dear Family, Friends, and all who care,

It's never easy to ask for help, but I'm reaching out to you on behalf of a dear friend, Ammarie Heenop. As some of you might know, she was diagnosed with liver cancer 11 years ago. It all started with a simple pain in the stomach but became so bad she ended up in the hospital where they discovered it was cancer. A month after the diagnosis, she underwent an operation where 68% of her liver was removed, as the cancer was growing inside the liver. They also removed her gall bladder and several glands around the liver for further testing. Since then, she went for yearly scans up until the last three years as she went through a divorce and could not afford medical aid on her salary. She is a beautician in a very small town, Kareedouw.

Around end September 2023, she experienced extreme pain and ended up in the hospital where they discovered her cancer is back. This time not inside the liver but growing on top, placing blood clots. Early chemo is required, and the specialists are discussing a high-risk operation. The specialists and doctors do not recommend heart surgery, which must take place for her case to proceed, as the size of the liver affected is quite extensive. The cancer is also causing blood clots because it is close to veins, making the operation high-risk.

When a loved one gets sick, one of the most stressful tasks is finding the funds you need. With her not having medical aid, all costs involved are from her own pocket. She cannot work at this stage, and therefore she has no income but still has to cover her expenses, rent, and the costs of treatment and care. Unfortunately, personal "savings" aren't always enough to cover the costs.

Now it's time for us to be there for Ammarie. We're asking all friends, family, and even strangers who find it in their hearts to contribute anything that can help with her daily expenses and traveling costs from Kareedouw to Cape Town.

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