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Help Support Christelle in Her Fight Against Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer

  • Update 12

      15 June 2025

    Hi everyone,

    I wanted to share an update on how Mum has been doing over the past few weeks.

    On May 30th, Mum completed her final radiotherapy session. An important milestone after going through three rounds of chemotherapy and 18 sessions of radiotherapy. She’s now back home, focusing on rest and recovery as her body begins to heal from the intensive treatment.

    In about 3–4 weeks, she will meet with her oncology team for a scan to assess how things are progressing. Depending on the results, there is a possibility that further chemotherapy may be needed.

    A couple of weeks after that, she’ll also see her surgeon, who will complete additional scans to check for any signs of new cancer growth.

    The treatment has been incredibly tough on Mum—she’s been experiencing a number of difficult side effects—but through it all, she remains resilient, hopeful, and deeply grateful for the ongoing love and support from everyone.

    We’ll continue to keep you updated as she moves through the next stages of her journey.

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  • Update 11

      20 May 2025

    Hi everyone,

    I wanted to share a quick update on how Mum has been doing over the past few weeks.

    As many of you know, she was discharged from the hospital in late April after nearly a month of care. Since then, she has bravely started her chemo and radiation treatments — and just yesterday, she completed her final round of chemotherapy.

    This journey has been anything but easy. Over the weekend, Mum was in excruciating pain from the effects of radiation, describing it as feeling like she was swallowing a thousand razor blades. She’s also been incredibly fatigued and unable to swallow food, relying instead on liquids through her feeding tube to ease the discomfort.

    She still has two more weeks of radiation to go, and we know the road ahead will be challenging — but if anyone can face this with courage and resilience, it’s Mum. She’s unbelievably strong and continues to fight with everything she has.

    We’re so proud of you, and we love you endlessly. You are brave, you are strong, and we’re all behind you every step of the way.

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  • Update 10

      30 April 2025

    Hi everyone,

    We wanted to share a quick update on Mum’s journey over the past week.

    Last Thursday, she was discharged from Auckland Hospital and was able to spend some much-needed time at home in Mangawhai. It was a comforting change of pace, giving her a chance to rest and recharge before the next phase of treatment.

    Earlier this week, Mum returned to Auckland for scheduled appointments with her surgeon and oncology team, and was also due to undergo a swallow test in preparation for her upcoming radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which are set to begin next week.

    Today brought some positive news—her neck dressing was removed, and the area where her tracheostomy was placed has healed nicely. The scar will take time to fade, but this is a really encouraging step forward.

    Unfortunately, her swallow test was postponed due to a scheduling error. Her surgeon is doing everything he can to make sure this is rescheduled as soon as possible.

    Ahead of starting treatment, Mum has requested additional scans to thoroughly check the area around her neck and lungs. If any cancer is found near the lungs, the oncology team has confirmed that they will not be able to perform radiation treatment in that area, which would significantly impact her prognosis.

    We’re staying hopeful and optimistic that no further cancer will be found. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we have results from the swallow test and scans.

    Thank you all for your continued support.

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  • Update 9

      23 April 2025

    Hi everyone,

    We wanted to share a combined update following yesterday’s events and some encouraging news from Mum’s surgeon this morning.

    In an unexpected but beautiful moment yesterday, Mum had her tracheostomy tube replaced with one that allows her to speak again. Hearing her voice for the first time in weeks was incredibly emotional for all of us—and in true Mum fashion, her first word was a cheeky “Bugger.” It was such a lift for everyone around her, and she didn’t waste a moment catching us up with everything she’s been thinking!

    Later that day, Mum underwent a procedure to move her feeding tube from her nose directly to her stomach. The sedation and the emotions afterward took a bit of a toll, and the rest of the day was understandably tough for her.

    But today, the spark is back. Mum’s in good spirits again, and her medical team delivered some hopeful news. They’re aiming to remove her feeding tube (nose), tracheostomy tube, and the drainage today.

    If all goes to plan, Mum may be coming home later this week for a few days of rest and familiarity before she begins radiotherapy and chemo next week. While she still won’t be able to eat, there’s a chance she may be allowed water and tea—just a bit of normalcy that we’re all so excited for.

    It’s been a long three and a half weeks in hospital, but seeing these little steps forward means the world to us. Thank you all for your love, support, and kind messages.

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    • 23/04/2025 by Adéle

      Stellie dis so lekker om jou te sien en te hoor. 'N stem wat ek nooit sal vergeet nie en lanklaas gehoor het! Dit was awesome. Wees sterk Stellie want dis hoe ek jou ken. Niks kry jou onder nie. Jy het 'n beautiful support system. Ek bid elke dag vir jou. Weet dit. Eb weet ook LOVE YOU LONGTIME!!!

    • 23/04/2025 by Theresa Erasmus

      So good to hear your voice! We are praying from near and far for you. ♥️♥️♥️♥️

    • 24/04/2025 by Julie

      Awesome news ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

  • Update 8

      17 April 2025
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    Hi everyone,

    Since my last update, Mum has been focusing on resting and healing following her operation.

    After needing to return to the operating room twice last week, the doctors have decided to keep her in the hospital a bit longer to give her the best chance to recover fully. Their main focus now is allowing time for the tear in her oesophagus and the hole in her trachea to heal properly.

    While the recovery process will take time, we’ve received encouraging news—her doctors are pleased with how things are progressing and believe the tear in her oesophagus should be healed within the next week or so.

    Although she wasn’t able to come home for Easter, the team is working on a plan to give her a few hours outside the hospital this weekend. It would mean the world to her to spend some time with family, especially her grandkids, who she hasn’t seen in over two weeks.

    Mum is looking much brighter, getting the rest she needs, and walking around the hospital when she can—all of which are really positive signs.

    We’ll continue to keep you updated as she moves forward in her recovery. Thank you all so much for your ongoing support, kind messages, and love—it means everything to us. Wishing you all a beautiful Easter surrounded by loved ones.

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  • Update 7

      11 April 2025
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    Hi everyone,

    We wanted to share an update on Mum’s journey following her surgery on Wednesday. After spending another night in ICU, she was transferred back to her regular ward yesterday morning to continue her recovery.

    Today, she’s undergoing a follow-up operation. The doctors are working to carefully clean the area around her wounds. They’ll be removing the stitches and checking inside to make sure the muscle they placed around her neck on Wednesday is healing as expected. They may need to adjust the muscle slightly to ensure it’s positioned correctly. This procedure will also involve some drainage and general internal and external clean-up.

    Right now, we’re hopeful that Mum will be able to come home sometime next week, though we don’t have a confirmed date just yet.

    Thank you so much for your continued love, support, and generosity during this time.

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    • 11/04/2025 by Adéle

      Give your mom a kiss on the cheeks and say it's a lowveld kiss with lots of love please!!! All my love ~ Adéle

  • Update 6 | Part 2

      9 April 2025

    During today’s surgery, the doctor first shared that they hadn’t found any issues with the oesophagus itself. However, they did discover that a piece of tissue placed during the previous surgery had become infected and died. They’re now replacing it with tissue from her chest—a familiar procedure for the team.

    Later, we received another call from the surgeon letting us know they had found a small tear in her oesophagus. This will be repaired during the same operation.

    They also took a closer look at her thyroid and, thankfully, didn’t find any signs of another tumour. While this seems like good news, we’re not yet sure if it changes anything in terms of her overall prognosis. We’ll speak with the doctors more about this if we get the opportunity when we see her in a few hours.

    The surgery is expected to take another hour or two, but the good news is that she’s not expected to return to the ICU tonight.

    Thank you again for your ongoing support, love, and generosity. It truly means everything to our family during this incredibly difficult time. We’ll keep you updated as we know more.

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    • 10/04/2025 by Theresa Erasmus

      Sending loads of Love and prayers, beautiful Christelle!

    • 11/04/2025 by Adéle

      Dink aan jou Stellie. Moenie moed verloor nie. Love you longtime!

  • Update 6 | Part 1

      9 April 2025
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    This morning, her surgeon visited after a swallow test. Unfortunately, the test showed that food wasn’t traveling directly down her oesophagus—it was taking an unusual path, which raised concerns. She was quickly sent for additional scans, and doctors now suspect there may be a hole in her oesophagus, though they’re still working to determine the exact location.

    She’s been scheduled for an urgent CT scan to help pinpoint the issue, followed by another surgery later this evening.

    Because of this unexpected complication, it’s unlikely that she’ll be able to come home this weekend as we had hoped. Her start date for radiotherapy will also need to be pushed back until she’s had time to properly heal.

    We also received confirmation that the cancer is Anaplastic Carcinoma, the most aggressive form of thyroid cancer. Sadly, this means her prognosis is limited to just a few months. It’s been a heartbreaking reality for all of us, and as you can imagine, emotions are running high. Still, in true Mum fashion, she remains incredibly strong and determined to keep fighting.

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  • Update 5

      8 April 2025

    Good morning everyone,

    The doctors completed their rounds a short while ago and have replaced Mum’s tube with a cuffed one. They do have some concerns about the drainage and are working on a better way to close it up. This might mean she’ll need to go into theatre today, although the procedure wouldn’t be as extensive as the initial one.

    Their main focus is getting Mum ready to begin radiotherapy next week, so they’re doing everything possible to ensure she’s healed in time.

    We’ll share any updates as soon as we know more.

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  • Update 4

      4 April 2025
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    Good afternoon everyone,

    Earlier today, we had the chance to speak with the doctor who performed Mum’s surgery. At this stage, they are still unsure of the exact diagnosis — it may be Anaplastic or Sarcoma. They are continuing to carry out extensive testing on the removed thyroid tissue and hope to have a definitive answer within the next three weeks. Regardless of the final diagnosis, it has been confirmed as a very high-grade cancer.

    During the surgery, part of Mum’s thyroid was removed and the majority of the cancer was taken out. However, some cancer remains. Based on this, the doctors have advised that Mum may have 2 to 3 months left to live. With radiotherapy, this could potentially be extended to around 6 months.

    On Monday or Tuesday, the current trachea tube will be removed to assess how the back of her trachea is healing. It will then be replaced with a longer cuffed tube, which will allow Mum to speak and swallow again.

    The hope is to have her back home next week, surrounded by family and friends, and from there, we’ll work together on a plan moving forward.

    Thank you all for your continued love and support.

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    • 05/04/2025 by Madelein

      Liefste Christelle en familie, julle is elke oomblik in ons gebede 💗. Mag die Here julle dra deur hierdie moeilik tyd en genesing bring 💕. Al ons liefde Madelein en Jaco

    • 06/04/2025 by Sharlene Ireland

      Dear Christelle and Family, what a terrifying time for you all. Thanks for all the updates. Sending positive vibes and love your way during this difficult time. Kia kaha 🙏

  • Update 3

      1 April 2025
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    Good morning everyone,

    Yesterday, Mum underwent surgery and came out stronger than ever. Seeing her after the operation was the first glimmer of happiness we’ve felt throughout this entire journey. She was resilient, and proud of herself for facing one of her biggest fears, and even in the midst of it all, we shared laughter, and tears, and created new memories.

    Unfortunately, this morning brought difficult news. Mum spoke with her doctor, who confirmed that the cancer is extremely aggressive. He now believes she has significantly less time than we had initially hoped.

    She remains in the ICU, still unable to speak, breathing through a tube, and relying on a feeding tube for the foreseeable future. The medical team wants to begin radiation therapy as soon as possible, condensing it into a two-week treatment plan instead of the usual seven weeks.

    This has been an incredibly emotional time for all of us, but Mum continues to show incredible strength. We are so grateful for the love, support, and generosity you’ve all shown. Your kindness means everything, and we will keep you updated as we learn more.

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  • Post Surgery Update

      31 March 2025

    Hi everyone,

    Just a quick update on Mum after her surgery. She made it through the operation and is currently in the Department of Critical Care (DCC). Her thyroid has been removed, but due to concerns about her breathing, she has been placed on a temporary tracheostomy tube to help ease her breathing through her nose and mouth. This may be needed for a few hours or possibly a few days. She is receiving one-on-one care and is in good hands.

    We’ll be visiting her shortly, though she will understandably be quite disoriented and in a lot of pain at this stage.

    The surgeon has also updated us—Mum is stable, and they removed as much of the cancer as possible, but unfortunately, some remains that couldn’t be taken out. Once she has healed, she will begin radiation treatment, which the doctor hopes to start as soon as possible. The cancer is very aggressive and growing rapidly.

    We’ll keep you posted on her progress. Thank you all so much for your continued love and support ❤️

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  • Update 1

      30 March 2025

    Hi everyone,

    First and foremost, we want to express our deepest gratitude to all who have donated. Your generosity and support have meant the world to our family, and we truly cannot thank you enough. Every single contribution has made a difference, and we are beyond grateful.

    Mum has now checked into the hospital and is scheduled for her operation tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM. This is a crucial step in her journey, and we are hopeful for a positive outcome.

    We will keep you updated on her progress, and we pray that we will have good news to share soon.

    Once again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kindness, love, and support. It means everything to us.

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