Interview with Roulene Bonthuys, Mrs South Africa CANSA Ambassador

Who is Roulene Bonthuys?

I am a mother, a wife, and a daughter, and most importantly, I am the daughter of the most high. I like to think of myself as a compassionate and caring person towards people I meet in my journey of life. I always try to push myself to a point to prove that I can do anything I set my mind to.

Why did you select the Cancer Association of South Africa as your charity of choice during your Mrs South Africa Journey?

I truly believe, by choosing the Cancer Association of South Africa for my chosen charity, I will be able to get my personal message out into the world so that the women of today will be more alert when it comes to their health and their mental health.

Are you a survivor of a caregiver? If yes please tell us about your journey.

I am a survivor, a survivor of cervical cancer. So many young girls and young adult women, even women in their older age, are not aware of this cancer until it is too late. For me, it was almost too late, but fortunately, I had an amazing support system by my side to be with me throughout this journey. After my first born, I was diagnosed with early stage 1 cervical cancer. When I went for the first surgery to remove the cancerous area they found that the cancer was more than what was diagnosed and they had to cut out a larger piece of my cervix than intended. About 2 years passed when I had my second child and suddenly I started having these severe pain and infections again. I went back to my gynaecologist and, as expected, the cervical cancer came back and was very close to my uterus so the very hard decision, to have a hysterectomy at the age of 25 to prevent it from spreading into my other organs, was made. I have been so blessed with the amount of support and love I have received throughout this time in my life that I could never thank my family and friends enough for being there for me every single day. And I thanked the Lord every day for helping me overcome every obstacle that was thrown to me.

What is your message to those facing this disease?

There are so many different types of cancers that I can’t relate to, but with cervical cancer I can tell you, PLEASE DON’T WAIT for next month or next year to visit your gynaecologist. I have met some people who lost their wives and daughter to this disease because of the delay women put on themselves to go for screenings because they are too scared or shy to put their most vulnerable self up on a bed for a doctor to examine them. My opinion is to do research regarding cervical cancer and visit your gynaecologist and, most importantly, to educate your daughters about the topic because there are so many young girls out there who are sexually active and don’t know what they are actually doing to their own bodies.

What is your motto in life?

“Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” – By Babe Ruth

Interview by Andries Du Preez