Every year since 2012, we’ve partnered with Cupcakes of Hope to support kids and families fighting childhood cancer. In 2022, we decided to show more and more generosity to these brave kids. From 1 April 2022, we started putting aside R1 for every Giant Muffin sold in our restaurants nationwide. Now, in September and in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we’re doubling that donation to R2 per muffin sold.
Armaan is an 8 year old who loves his video games. He fought a battle against Hodgkin’s lymphoma and we are happy to share that as of May 2022 he is officially in remission!
Armaan’s mom, Imaan, also cautions parents to familiarise themselves with the early warning signs of childhood cancer. The thing that made them seek medical advice was swelling on Armaan’s neck. Unfortunately, the first doctors they went to diagnosed the swelling as an allergic reaction. There were some other symptoms, like night sweats and rashes, but these were also written off as mild allergies. When it was finally confirmed that Armaan had Hodgkin’s lymphoma, they immediately started chemotherapy.
Cupcakes of Hope supported the family with extra money that they used to spoil Armaan to all his favourite things. Initially, Armaan’s parents were hesitant to accept the help from Cupcakes of Hope, because they felt that there are so many other families who were more deserving of financial assistance. But, there’s so much more than just the medical bills to cover when your family is fighting cancer. Thanks to the support from Cupcakes of Hope, Armaan was able to stay strong through his treatment, both mentally and physically.
Takatso is a bright, bubbly and outgoing girl of 6. She’s fighting AML, or acute myeloid leukaemia, but she doesn’t let that stop her from smiling. Her mother, Moeder, shared with us the story of their journey to getting a diagnosis.
The early warning signs of childhood cancer can be quite confusing for parents. Moeder remembers finding bruises on Takatso’s body and black spots on her lips, but for a kid these things could easily be caused by something as innocent as playing at break time or accidentally chewing on the wrong end of a koki pen. When Takatso started developing other symptoms like red spots on her body and bleeding gums, her mom knew she needed answers fast, so she took her to a doctor and blood tests confirmed leukaemia.
Moeder found out about Cupcakes of Hope while talking to the other parents in the oncology ward. She filled out an application form and within a week, Takatso had already become a beneficiary. By the end of the first month, Moeder had received a payment to help out with the medical bills and transport.
Marnel is fighting cancer for the second time in her life. She was first diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of only 3. That started a difficult journey with chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, but Marnel pulled through and had good health for 6 years after that.
When it came time for her sixth annual cancer scan, Marnel’s mom wasn’t even sure whether the scan was necessary, because nothing had shown up in 5 years. We’re glad that they did go for that scan, even if the results weren’t what they hoped for, because the doctors were able to catch new tumours in Marnel’s liver, lungs, and heart. Marnel bravely faced heart surgery, and now she’s undergoing chemotherapy to ensure that the tumours don’t grow any more.
Cupcakes of Hope has helped Marnel and her family since day one, helping out with transport money to get to hospital, all the small bills that the family couldn’t afford to pay, and even a memorable birthday party for Marnel. Though these things may seem small, they have a huge impact on families who are fighting cancer.
We want to keep on showing more and more care for kids and families fighting childhood cancer. That’s why we’ll still keep on donating R1 to Cupcakes of Hope for every Giant Muffin sold nationwide until 31 March 2023.
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