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Reflections on Cancer

Maclean Tamanda Mbepula
ILLUMINATION
Published in
3 min readSep 26, 2024

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Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Trigger warning: Death. Sickness/illness. Grief

When life is ordinary, most of us do not notice the little miracles that every day brings: the fresh morning air, the beautiful sunrises, and the golden sunsets. We may not appreciate being able to run, jog or walk. The taste of our morning coffee, or even a simple glass of water isn’t something that brings us a sense of wonder and awe.

However, when we or someone we love experiences something monumental, something that strips us or them away from these joys, we are left to realize how blessed we were. Cancer is one of those life-changing moments. Whether you have it/had it or your loved one instead.

Cancer is “… a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body…(1)” This disease has caused a world of grief, loss, and change in my life and that of my family. In this article, I would like to share my thoughts on this.

In 2006, my oldest sister — Martha Magdalene died at 30 years old from what was likely undiagnosed Cancer. In 2014, I lost my only living Maternal uncle from (diagnosed) Oesaphagal Cancer. The year after that, I lost my Maternal grandfather to the same.

Around the same time, I lost a 20-something-year-old cousin from Cancer and AIDS. Then in 2016, my sister — Sarah, died from Lymphoma at only…

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ILLUMINATION
ILLUMINATION

Published in ILLUMINATION

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Maclean Tamanda Mbepula
Maclean Tamanda Mbepula

Written by Maclean Tamanda Mbepula

Ghostwriter. Author. Entrepreneur. Web Designer. Artist/ Poet. Stand-Up Comedian. Founder of Afrineur, Creative Africa Space & Shekinah Invest. ENFP. :)

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