When disease rocks the world of those who least deserve it, the community can make it all better.
Alberton, South Africa (14 September 2025) – For more than two years, Armand knew that something was wrong. He was tired, unwell, and struggling to keep up with daily life, but every test and every doctor’s visit came back without answers.
By the age of 21, he had spent two years in limbo. Waiting, wondering, and trying to get through his studies while his health kept slipping away.
This year, the waiting ended. Doctors put a name to what had been happening. It was cancer. The news was devastating, but it also gave him clarity on why he’d been feeling so unwell for so long.
Since then, Armand’s world has become about survival.
Treatments, specialist visits, medication, and travel have replaced the normal rhythm of student life. His grandmother has been at his side through all of it, supporting him on her pension. She’s the one who has remarkably been holding everything together, but no pension stretches far enough to cover hospital bills, transport, food, and all the gaps left by medical aid.
In the middle of all this, there was supposed to be joy.
Armand and his fiancée, Giorgia, had been planning their wedding for 2026. Instead of choosing venues and invitations, they’ve had to set it aside.
“Their dream is now on hold, so that every available resource can go toward keeping Armand healthy and strong,” the family shared.
A BackaBuddy campaign has been launched to raise R250,000 to help ease the load. So far, just over R11,800 has come in from 14 wonderful donors. The money will go toward urgent treatment, nutritious food, travel, and day-to-day living costs while Armand cannot work or study.
It will also help his grandmother, who is carrying the responsibility of both care and costs.
And it will go towards hope that Armand can rebuild his future and still see his future bride down the aisle.
“This is more than a medical fight — it’s a fight for a future. Let’s help Armand reclaim it,” reads the campaign.
Giving a young man the chance to recover, to finish his studies, and to one day stand beside Giorgia at the wedding they’ve both been dreaming of, is what this is all about.
Every bit of help counts. Whether it’s a donation, sharing the campaign, or simply sending strength their way. Even in the hardest moments, the community can step in and make a brighter future possible for a young man who does not deserve this diagnosis.
Find the BackaBuddy campaign here.
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