Little Fighters out to help
2010-10-15
Lise Beyers
AFTER seeing friends being crippled by cancer, a Paarl couple has taken it upon themselves to try and relieve the plight of cancer sufferers and their families.
Thomas Engela and his wife, Tania, were faced with the excruciating news last year, when the newborn baby of a friend, Timothy Finaughty, was diagnosed with a very rare form of Leukeamia. This was the start of a very long road of intensive medical treatment for Timothy and his mother Coralie. And Thomas and Tania have been taking this road step by step with them. Today Timothy is nowhere near recovery. At 18 months he weighs just over nine kilograms. The Engela’s felt that they had to do something to help, not only for Timothy, but for the many cancer patients and their families throughout the Drakenstein area. They thus started the Little Fighters Cancer Trust, with the help of legal advisor Martin Oosthuizen and financial consultant Martin Louw. “The fight against cancer not only has a crippling effect on the sufferer, but on the family who generally face very hard times, which may continue for years. “Since Timothy became ill, we have seen how many families are affected by cancer right across the area.” And so Little Fighters was born. The trust assists cancer sufferers in any way possible, whether it be transport to and from hospitals, food, clothes, or just a general helping hand. And in the meantime, the Engelas were once again closely affected by cancer, when the son of another friend, Dillon Neethling (8), was diagnosed with leukaemia. Dillon became ill while playing his last rugby match in September for his school, Gymnasium Primary School. The very same day his parents were informed that he most probably suffered from leukaemia. And this while his father, Jacques, has also been battling with cancer for years. Today the Engela’s home in De Zoete Inval is cluttered with toys, clothes and non-perishable products which they have received as donations. Daily they identify families who are in dire straights and assist them where they can. Recently they received a donation from the popular rock-band Prime Circle, of a hamper including CD’s, concert tickets and much memorabilia. They will soon be holding a raffle of these products of which the returns will go into the trust. Anybody who would like to contact the Engelas about Little Fighters, can phone Thomas at 074-886-5125.
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