TLC Nicus Lodge a Second Home to Elizma & Daughter

Chante Jacobs & mom Elizma

Elizma Jacobs, mother of Chanté (9 years old), says that CANSA’s TLC Nicus Lodge was like a 2nd home to them during Chanté’s treatment. Elizma needed a place to stay while Chanté underwent treatment  – this is their story in Elizma’s words:

On the 11th Jan 2013 my daughter was diagnosed with Central Nervous System Germinoma in her brain. This diagnosis is very rare amongst children. Chanté had 3 big tumours that metastisized to her spine.  The prognosis that was offered was very negative and left us with little hope. Chanté suffered from very high pressure in the brain and she urgently needed a shunt to relieve the pressure.

Due to also battling with high blood pressure and thyroid levels, she could not get the urgently needed operation immediately. The delay caused her to become blind and paralyzed. After  the shunt was placed things deteriorated. Chanté started to develop  hypersensitive hearing and her smell and taste were also severely affected.  Soon after that she started to have continuous fits. We also had to battle with the normal side effects of chemotherapy.

After 9 weeks of treatment her hearing returned to normal and she slowly started to walk again and all her senses improved. After chemotherapy we started with 12 weeks of radiation therapy followed again by another  9 weeks of chemotherapy. Chanté is still busy with treatment and follow ups, but today my daughter is cancer- free.

Thank  you Jesus and everyone that prayed with us. A special thanks to CANSA TLC Nicus Lodge in Pretoria and to the CANSA staff in Middelburg for all you did for us and helping us along the way. God bless you all.

See Elizma being interviewed re their stay at the lodge…

In Loving Memory:

After a short period of time in remission, the cancer unfortunately returned and Chanté passed away on the 1st June 2014.

Queries CANSA TLC:

For more information please email tlc@cansa.org.za or phone our Toll Free Call Centre on 0800 22 66 22.