From fear to hope: a KZN mother’s breast cancer journey during lockdown

OCTOBER marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and for Sandhia Govinder, a 47-year-old occupational therapist from Blythedale, it is far more than a pink ribbon or a campaign slogan.

- MONISHKA GOVENDER [e-mail]

Sandhia Govinder

It is a deeply personal reminder of the journey she had travelled since being diagnosed with stage 4A breast cancer in 2019.

Her life took a sharp turn in April 2019 during South Africa's strict Covid-19 lockdown, when she discovered a lump in her right breast.

"I was in the shower and felt something the size of a tennis ball. It was not painful, and I could move it, so I thought it was a cyst. I did not feel worried at first," said Govinder.

That moment changed her life. Up to that point, Govinder described herself as someone running "at 280km per hour", juggling family, work and life's many demands.

"I think that was the point where my body became vulnerable. Ironically, I was at my fittest, healthiest and calmest when I found the lump."

Having never gone for a mammogram before due to fear and misinformation, she booked her first scan.

"That was one of my biggest mistakes, waiting. It was ignorance on my part."

The results were immediately concerning. She was referred to a surgeon, who performed a biopsy on the same day.

"It was painful, and the scariest part was that I was all alone. No visitors were allowed in the hospital. It was then I realised I had to lean into my inner strength and trust in God completely."