Steven Lavender was shocked to find out he had a tumour behind his right eye; it changed everything for the family, but thankfully South Africa stepped up to help!
Polokwane, South Africa (25 November 2020) – The Jacaranda FM ‘Good Morning Angels‘ recently heard the story of Steven Lavender, a 36-year-old father of three from Polokwane who found out he had a rare tumour. The Good Morning Angels, together with ‘The Survivors’ are making a difference.
Gerhard van der Westhuizen, Rayno Strauss and Paul Viljoen started The Survivors as a way to give back after they all survived their cancer diagnosis. The three fathers were taking stock of their lives and the second chances they had received. The men decided they wanted to give back and help others who didn’t have the means to fight their cancer battles. Gerhard, Rayno and Paul started an annual golf day that is now in its seventh year.
This year, The Survivors will be using their network to assist Steven Lavender. Steven went to have an eye test because he had started losing vision in his right eye. He was not prepared for the outcome of this check-up and was sent for more tests that revealed a fast-growing tumour between his right eye and brain. It turns out the tumour is very rare, and Steven is the only person in South Africa to be suffering from this currently; he is also only one of 37 people in the world!
Steven has lost most of his sight in the affected eye, and time is now of the essence. The growth is blocking blood flow to the right side of his brain, which could cause permanent damage. Thankfully, a generous Doctor in Pretoria has offered to do the surgery pro-bono.
While the surgeon will do the surgery for free, the hospital expenses still need to be covered. These are estimated to cost around R450,000. The amount of time to fundraise, versus the amount of time Steven has is just not enough.
A doctor in Pretoria has offered to do the delicate operation to remove the tumour for free. However, the hospital costs still amount to a staggering R450 000, which the Lavender family do not have. They’ve been raising funds and have moved in with Steven’s parents to save living costs, but they have a long fundraising road ahead and not enough time.
This is where Good Morning Angels and The Survivors have stepped in. The Survivors will assist in helping Steven with the funds to cover his life-saving surgery.
The Survivors have also found a sponsored holiday house in Glentana near George for Steven, Kristine and their 3 boys – with flights sponsored to George and back – to have a bit of a breather after their year of anguish and worry over what the future may hold.