Sebastian Schütte overcame testicular cancer and went on to help young South Africans through his work with the #PandaCrew.
South Africa (21 August 2015) – Sebastian Schütte, an incredible South Afri-CAN is the founder of an initiative called the #PandaCrew and a strong believer in making a change in this world we live in. His belief is that everyone deserves to be loved and feel important…
“I feel so strongly toward the PandaCrew as it is purely about helping others and making sure no one gets left behind.”
There is a lot of good that is needed in the world, and it takes one person to make a single change to get the ball rolling. Sebastian’s only wish is that his passion to help people will inspire others to do the same.
It all started in late February of 2008. One night, Sebastiaan was lying on his bed when he noticed a small hard spot on the inside of his right testicle.
He didn’t think it was too strange that night but noticed that the spot seemed to get harder and bigger as time passed.
After long talks with his mom, he decided to go have it checked out… at first, his family doctor misdiagnosed the lump, but Sebastian visited a urologist for a second opinion, who did various tests and determined that he did have testicular cancer.
“As if the new realization of having cancer wasn’t scary enough on its own, my fears were only heightened by the fact that the only other person I’d ever known with Testicular Cancer had died within a month of discovering that he had it. I wondered if I was going to die – and if so, when. How much time did I have?”
Sebastian endured two serious operations and a bout of chemotherapy over the next few months… the process was both emotional and scary, but today, he is alive and completely cancer-free!
“I now feel better than I ever have – both physically and emotionally. I realise that a recurrence could happen at any time. In my case, but as more and more time passes, rather than fearing doom around the corner, I feel incredibly lucky and ecstatic to be alive.”
Sebastian took this life experience and decided to focus all his energy on giving back & making a difference in others’ lives.
He started the #PAndaCrew foundation to bring people together to help others.
Their mission is simple:
No one gets left behind, no one gets singled out and no one goes without help.
Their aim is to help wherever they can, especially where they see a dire need for assistance. Whether it’s uplifting a community or helping an individual, the #PandaCrew want to make a difference and provide assistance wherever we can.
One of their most recent projects took them on a journey just outside of Sasolburg… the team set out to change the lives of the 53 children and three teachers at the Ledibohong Primary School.
With meticulous planning, the panda crew pulled their resources together and spent a full weekend repairing the entire school. The team spent their time painting walls, window frames, and desks. They also had a carpenter repair desks and chairs and build new shelves for all the classrooms.
Their ongoing community projects are open to anyone, and they make it quite simple to get involved…
“Having to face one’s mortality at a relatively early age is a serious wake-up call. When you’re not sure how much longer you’re going to be around, the things that are important in life – and those that are not – instantly become crystal clear.”