She Fought Once, Now She's Fighting Again: Help Berenice Beat Her Second Breast Cancer Battle

Photo Credit: Supplied by Berenice Dalwai

Berenice Dalwai has bravely fought breast cancer once. Now the single mother of two is drawing on her immense faith and strength to face this aggressive battle yet again.

Cape Town, South Africa (18 September 2026) – In December 2022, Berenice Dalwai experienced what she initially was convinced was a mosquito bite. However, when it didn’t go away, a doctor’s visit led to tests that changed her life forever. Berenice was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer with four tumours.

“The news left me shocked, terrified and numb,” she recounts.

The next 10 months were filled with chemotherapy, a mastectomy with reconstruction, and radiation.

“It was the hardest battle of my life, but with the support of my loved ones, faith, and determination, I fought through it and was eventually declared cancer-free.”

For two years and seven months, Berenice embraced every day with gratitude and a renewed appreciation for life. Then, on 9 April 2026, at a routine check-up, she received the news she never expected to hear again: The cancer had returned. No one expects to hear ‘malignant’ once in their life; Berenice says hearing it twice was unbelievable.

And now she is back to fighting and holding onto hope as she undergoes a year of treatment with Herceptin.

“My cancer is HER2-positive, an aggressive, persistent form of breast cancer. I’m currently on my fourth cycle of Herceptin.”

While Berenice is on medical aid, the costs of being on the highest option required to cover the Herceptin have become financially overwhelming, and she finds herself unable to continue treatment without assistance.

One treatment cycle of Herceptin costs about R16,485. Berenice has 14 more rounds to go. In 2023, she ended the Herceptin treatment prematurely due to lack of affordability, after which the cancer returned. She has now been informed that the risk she faces should she discontinue the treatment again is another recurrence and the cancer possibly spreading elsewhere.

“I have an amazing Oncology team with a treatment plan in place which includes chemotherapy and Herceptin currently. My doctor has exhausted all options to obtain state-sponsored Herceptin country-wide in light of my financial situation. As difficult as it is, I am humbly asking for help to raise R230,790 towards my medical treatment,” she appeals.

As a single mother of two, Berenice wants to live to watch her children grow, achieve their dreams, and one day meet her grandchildren.

Donations towards her treatment can be made to her crowdfunding campaign here.