Personal message

This is the story of an amazing young woman, very near and dear to many people, including myself, as a friend of the family. Katy is always laughing, always willing to help and never complains. Please help us help her to fight this battle as the Medical Aid is not prepared to pay for chemotherapy treatments, and this is imperative for her recovery. The Chemo amounts to around R80,000/dose, and she needs 4 to 6 doses before a StemCell transplant can be done. Here is Katie's story in her own words.

Katy's Cancer Journey

Hi all,

My name is Katelyn Dateling, aged 19, and I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma during early 2021 at the age of 16 after finding a massive lump on my neck.

First Battle

I fought long and hard for 6 months in the Paediatric ward at Charlotte Maxeke (Johannesburg Gen) to be in remission in late July 2021, only for it to come back in November that year.

Determination

I then decided that I could not be beaten by this persistent disease and fought again for another 8 or so months of my youth. I struggled through matric due to having intense treatment and even a stem cell transplant during exams. And for the last 3 months, I battled with the after-effects that left me devastatingly weak and at risk of complications not even related to the cancer. I suffered from severe nausea and vomiting as well as pains and aches through my spine and kidneys. I also experienced fevers that skyrocketed to 38-39 degrees, and I was constantly easily exhausted. The year 2022 was genuinely one of the hardest years I’ve ever experienced. I just never felt like myself for so long, and at so many points, thought I wasn’t going to make it or that I couldn’t take any more medication being pumped into me. However, through extreme emotional and mental support from my parents, family, and friends, I pushed on and was finally told I was in remission at the end of 2022.

Second Battle

As of November 2023, my cancer has come back and was shown in a big lump under my arm. I was diagnosed with Stage 4 recurring Hodgkins Lymphoma, which increased the risk and severity of the disease as the cancer has spread throughout my entire body from lungs to spine to liver and more. Unfortunately, because of my age and severity of my disease, I am no longer able to get government treatment at Charlotte Maxeke and am in need of a specialized chemotherapy that unfortunately costs around R80,000 per dose, of which I would need roughly 4-6. Since finding out about the disease coming back, I have gone for a biopsy on the lump under my arm without any anesthetics and a removal surgery to take out the lump for investigation of the severity of the cancer.

Financial Struggle

However, although my journey so far has been covered by the medical aid I have unfortunately been through and have taken every government chemo available to me that the medical aid would pay for in the last 2 years. They have told us that the chemo has been declined on medical aid, but they also told us that I’m in desperate need of it.

Urgent Need for Treatment

I should have started treatment already at the beginning of this year, and the delay only caused more harm. Every day, I feel myself getting weaker and sicker. People may not see it on the outside, but I feel my body slowly deteriorating every day from inside, and every day it becomes more and more difficult to do everyday things.

Call for Help

I desperately need this treatment. My parents are trying their best, but financially we are stuck. Please help them, and the doctors save my life.

Support and Donation Appeal

Please share with as many people or donate as much as you can or would like to if possible.

Every cent goes towards my chemo treatment and would be greatly appreciated.

With gratitude and much love to all of you.

Donations