Cailla Maree Teen Cancer Survivor – My Story of Hope

Cailla Maree

My name is Cailla Maree, and I was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma when I was 15 years old.

Before that moment, cancer was something I only heard about in passing. I didn’t know that overnight, everything familiar about my life could disappear.

I spent the majority of the next year in the hospital. My treatment plan included nine months of chemotherapy.

A few months into treatment, I had a major surgery to remove the tumour, which was located on my right scapula. The doctors told me it might affect the mobility of my arm, and I was prepared for the possibility that it could limit me. But today, my arm is perfectly fine. I’m fully mobile, and I don’t take that for granted.

Physical and Psychological Toll of Treatment

After the surgery, the chemotherapy continued. The physical toll of the treatment was brutal. I was constantly nauseous and exhausted. My body felt drained all the time, and it was a struggle just to get through the day. But even worse than the physical part was what it did to me mentally. I didn’t go to school for two years. I avoided public places completely because I couldn’t handle people seeing me that way. I isolated myself. I was hiding from the world, and in many ways, from myself.

During that time, something that gave me quiet strength was seeing other kids, some even younger than me, going through the same thing. Watching how calm or brave they were, even when they had every reason not to be, gave me a sense of hope. It made me feel like maybe I could keep going too.

There were moments where I really thought it was the end for me. I was that sick. I couldn’t imagine a future, let alone a healthy version of myself. But somehow, I kept going, even when it didn’t feel like I had it in me.

Cailla Maree 18th Birthday

Reclaiming My Life

Somewhere along the way, my faith started to ground me. I wouldn’t say I was deeply religious, but something shifted when I got baptized at 17. That day felt like a turning point, not because all the pain disappeared, but because I finally felt like I was reclaiming something. I felt like I was stepping into my life again, and not just surviving it. It gave me peace.

Now, I don’t spend much time worrying about whether the cancer will come back. I just have this trust in myself and in life that whatever happens, I’ll get through it. I’ve seen what I can survive, and I’ve made peace with the fact that I may never understand exactly how or why I did.

My Purpose Going Forward

Looking back, I can see just how much this experience shaped me. I’m still figuring out what comes next, but I’m rebuilding. I did write my matric exams, which felt like such a big step forward after everything. I’m planning to study further, even though I’m not completely sure what I want to do yet. I know I want to explore things that genuinely inspire me. I want to travel. I want to do something meaningful with my life.

And the truth is, right now, I’m so healthy it almost doesn’t feel real. After everything I went through, to be in this place now, physically well and emotionally calm, it’s something I’m incredibly thankful for.

I genuinely feel at peace with where I am right now. It’s refreshing. I’m not rushing anything. I just want to live slowly and fully, and figure things out as I go.

If you’re a young person going through cancer, I want you to know that it’s okay if you don’t feel brave or positive all the time. It’s okay to feel tired, or disconnected, or scared. That doesn’t make you weak.

You’re still here, and that means something!

Cancer is a part of my story, but it doesn’t get to be all of it.

CANSA Support for Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA)

If you are a teen or young adult with cancer and need information, encouragement and support, please visit CANSA’s Free2Bme AYA section of the website.

You can also email Anina Meiring ameiring@cansa.org.za if you would like to join a support group.