Olympic Torchbearer and Cupcakes of Hope ambassador Ronél Steyn is rallying her community in sport and cupcakes to help raise funds for little leukaemia fighter, Stehan:
Cape Town, South Africa (23 May 2024) — Ronél Steyn is a champion who has worked tirelessly to help children fighting cancer. Her fierce support of vulnerable children in South Africa has had so much of an impact that she was selected as an Olympic torchbearer in France; a country she has called home since 2009.
Despite living across the pond, Ronél’s work for childhood cancer in South Africa has remained steadfast. Ronél actively organises fundraising events in South Africa.
She is an active ambassador of Cupcakes of Hope, the non-profit supporting childhood cancer fighters in all ways sweet and hopeful, who is now on the warpath to make a miracle happen for a little child named Stehan.
Stehan is a 6-year-old boy from Dana Bay who first battled neuroblastoma two years ago. In November 2022, things started to look positive for the little boy. However, things took a turn when he was diagnosed with leukaemia in April.
“Now, he faces an intense battle for survival at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, undergoing rigorous chemotherapy treatment,” Cupcakes of Hope share.
With most of Ronél’s career focused on cancer research, her passion and heart have led her to an unwavering support for children like Stehan.
“Carrying the torch was an unforgettable experience, filled with intense happiness and sadness. I carry this flame with a special thought to all the innocent children facing cancer, especially those in South Africa,” she reflects on her experience as a torchbearer, where she even carried Stehan’s photo close to her heart as a reminder of the children she advocates for daily.
6K For Stehan
Ronél is working closely with Stehan’s family and organisations to organise a large, virtual fundraiser in South Africa and Europe with a goal to rally thousands of participants for the little boy’s survival (the medication he needs, is his only hope as Cupcakes of Hope explain).
The aim is to inspire 6000 people to get up and be active for just 6 kilometres. This can mean running, walking swimming or 6000 seconds in the gym (or even on a trampoline!). If each donates R100, the total of R600 000 needed for Stehan’s treatment will be easily attainable.
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The event will be launched in tandem with the Olympic Games on 24 July (it will run until 18 August) and several pro athletes have already confirmed to lend their support.
“The idea is that anyone can be a champion, and people can decide whether they want to do the distance in one day or over several weeks. There is no age limit, no time limit and no limit to the amount of fun that this virtual race can be!”—Ronél Steyn.
Donations can already be made via the Cupcakes of Hope website, and you can sign up either on the site, or by popping signup@cupcakesofhope.org an email. (Don’t forget to join the ‘Our Little Warrior Stehan‘ Facebook group for updates!).
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