In a career defined by sterile procedures and clinical distance, there was one patient, a 72-year-old woman, who reminded Dr Mulangaphuma that practising medicine is not just a job, but a calling that impacts people’s lives well into their final days.
Cape Town, South Africa (03 December 2025) – It’s often said that being a doctor is more than a profession, but a calling. While doing her rotations in medicine, Dr Mashudu Mulangaphuma was reminded of this truth when she crossed paths with a patient who left a mark on her heart.
She was a 72-year-old lady who presented with chronic diarrhoea, unexplained weight loss and anaemia.
“After so many investigations and finally getting her scans done, we found out she had cancer. Sadly, it had metastases and was not going to benefit from any intervention. But it was for palliative,” shares Dr Mulangaphuma in a post.
Breaking the news to the elderly patient was not easy. But thankfully, she took it surprisingly well, accepting her condition as one she had to make peace with.
Dr Mulangaphuma called the grandmother’s family to inform them of her condition. What stood out for the doctor was the ill patient’s love and appreciation.
“This granny loved me wholeheartedly. She always spoke so highly of me, telling me what an amazing doctor I am and reminding me to never lose my bright, beautiful smile. When her children called from Gauteng, she would talk about me so much that they eventually asked for a picture.”
Last week, after a sleepless night on call, the doctor received a call from an unfamiliar number. She nearly ignored it but decided to answer. On the other end of the line was the grandmother’s brother informing her of the passing of the woman she’d cared so deeply for.
“The cancer had been too aggressive. But he said something that broke me yet filled me with gratitude he [the brother] said, ‘Dr, even on her deathbed, she never stopped speaking highly of you’. That I helped make her last months beautiful and memorable.”
Though she didn’t expect her beloved patient to pass so soon, Dr Mulangaphuma is grateful that she could bring warmth, comfort, and dignity into her final chapter.
“That call reminded me that I am not just a doctor, I am called for this.”
Dr Mulangaphuma admits that studying to become a doctor challenged her both mentally and physically. That, in fact, it almost broke her.
“But the fact that I was still able to be a kind and caring doctor even in those difficult times makes me truly believe God wanted me in this space. That I am indeed called for this.”
More than a healthcare provider, Dr Mulangaphuma appreciates that she is able to pour into the lives of others and bring them hope and comfort that carries them through sickness and the toughest times.
“I am grateful to God for the opportunity to make such an impact in people’s lives. May her gentle soul rest in perfect peace.”
Sources: Dr Mashudu Mulangaphuma
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