Sixty-year-old Zanodien Thebus is taking on his third Cape Town Cycle Tour since being diagnosed with cancer only this time, he rides as a survivor.
Cape Town, South Africa (17 February 2023) – Heroes of Groote Schuur is a Facebook page dedicated to highlighting the amazing people who work or visit the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town. This week, they are highlighting ex-patient and cancer survivor sixty-year-old Zanodien Thebus, who will be riding in the Cape Town Cycle Tour this March and raising funds for the Groote Schuur Trust.
The trust runs several projects at the hospital to ensure Captonians get the care they need. These projects include:
1. Maternal and child health – including our kangaroo mother care project, our efforts to assist in identifying and supporting our patients that are experiencing gender-based violence, as well as providing care for new moms who have other health challenges such as hypertension and diabetes.
2. Safe and accessible surgeries – including our Surgical Recovery project that ensures the surgeries that were delayed during the COVID pandemic are now prioritised and fast-tracked in the hospital in a dedicated surgical theatre for this purpose.
3. Patient-centered initiatives – including our Diabetes Centre, which is the first multi-disciplinary public health service dedicated to addressing the most complicated diabetic cases in the Western Cape, as well as educating healthcare practitioners throughout the country on basic and advanced diabetes care; including foot care in particular.
“I’ve decided that I wanted to ride for a cause, and I chose the Groote Schuur Hospital Trust. I was treated for cancer at the hospital. It was 2017 when my symptoms started, and in 2018 I was diagnosed and started treatment there. It was a four-year battle and I was hospitalised are few times. I’m okay for now though.
I have an Ileostomy bag – this is the second one I have had. Last year I was supposed to have a reversal, but unfortunately, it didn’t work so I still have a bag, and I have to exercise with it.
Just before I got sick I started cycling. And despite my treatment I’ve done the Cycle Race twice in that period. Cycling helps me with anxiety, and it helped me a lot with my cancer battle. I’m so glad that I started it. Physically and mentally the illness took its toll on me, but cycling really helped me.
After the operation it was difficult getting back into it, but I’ve gradually got my strength back and I’m getting fitter. I still feel a bit vulnerable with the Ileostomy but I’ve got the courage to do it.
I’m very grateful for the surgeons, doctors and support staff at Groote Schuur, so by riding for this cause I’m saying thank you to them. I’m relying on friends, family and customers to support me!”
Zanodien hopes to raise R10,000 for the trust. If you would like to support his efforts, you can do so here.
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