By Eugenie Muchetu
Harare (New Ziana)- Having faced unimaginable challenges during the darkest times of their lives, two breast cancer survivors have shown unwavering spirit and relentless courage. With a combined 45 years after diagnosis, the two women have not only battled the disease, but emerged stronger, inspiring others with their resilience and tenacity.
According to the World Health Organisation and Zimbabwe Cancer Registry 2019 report, Zimbabwe remains among the top 15 African nations with high breast cancer rates, accounting for 8 percent of all cancers diagnosed countrywide, Breast cancer symptoms include lumps, shape changes, or skin dimpling. While it primarily affects women, men are also at risk.
Risk factors range from lifestyle and hormonal factors to genetic predispositions. Sister Irene Holland (70) of the Sisters of Nazareth was diagnosed in 1997 while on a 30-year mission in London and her survival, now spanning nearly three decades, has been powered by sheer grit and faith.
During a monthly self-exam, Sister Irene discovered a lump in her right breast. Tests and mammograms confirmed ductal cancer. With her family far away in Zimbabwe and her mother recently deceased, she faced the diagnosis alone.
Overwhelmed with fear, Sister Irene drove aimlessly and ended up in a football field, disoriented and shaken. The other sisters at her convent did not initially believe her and, with no emotional support, Sister Irene leaned on her mission and resilience.
“Mine is a passion for Christ and a passion for his people. I love people,” she said in her soft, whispery voice. According to the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe (CAZ) Information Research and Evaluation Officer Lovemore Makurirofa, most breast cancer cases are first detected by women themselves at home or during clinical breast examinations after a complaint.
“That physical breast examination by the client herself or himself is also very important because that is the one that promote early detection,” he said, adding that breast examination campaigns show that while many lumps are found, only 10 percent are cancerous.
Sister Irene’s cancer at stage 2, though invasive, was treatable and she underwent a partial mastectomy, while chemotherapy was cut short due to side effects.
She was put on tamoxifen, a drug which blocks the effects of estrogen on breast tissue, and kept her cancer in remission for 17 years.
With a family history of hormone-related breast cancer, her sister later developed it, while her father died from lung cancer. In 2014, back in Zimbabwe, Sister Irene discovered another lump, this time, the cancer also at stage 2, was more aggressive.
She had a mastectomy at the St Anne’s Hospital. Though advised to remove both breasts, she declined but later expressed regret. “To a woman, they’re the most precious items,” she said, adding she again declined chemo and radiotherapy, choosing to continue with tamoxifen.
“I wake up thanking God. My journey is like a river… you only see the surface, not the pebbles beneath.” In 2019, Sister Irene, now Superior, moved to South Africa where run an orphanage. In 2022, she discovered another lump.
She had her remaining breast and six cancerous lymph nodes removed. She opted out of chemotherapy again, entrusting her future to faith and tamoxifen. From her first diagnosis 28 years ago, Sister Irene has endured a relentless battle not once, or twice, but three times and she’s still standing.
She credits her survival to an unwavering mindset: “It’s being positive. We have to think positively. And we have to stay positive.” Reflecting on her journey, Sister Irene said looking in the mirror was what cracked her, seeing how disfigured she looked.
“But then I looked at the cross and thought, even Jesus was disfigured. So I don’t feel sorry for myself.” Today, Sister Irene uses discreet prostheses and continues treatment with tamoxifen and, alongside cancer, she has overcome other health issues, guided by her unwavering faith.
Another remarkable cancer survivor is 57-year-old Faresi Takawira, whose own journey has become a beacon of hope for many. In 2008, she detected lumps in her breast and armpit through self-examination and, despite initial reassurance, further tests and a lumpectomy revealed stage 3 breast cancer.
“Even when I got the news, I don’t know what happened. Maybe God just made me settle,” she said, adding she was connected to the CAZ, which became her lifeline as she was surrounded by fellow fighters, and was paired with a 75-year-old survivor, 28 years in remission.
“When I looked at her, I thought, if she made it, so can I,” Takawira said, and that moment ignited a quiet determination and sense of community.
Takawira echoed Sister Irene’s concerns about the steep cost of treatment in Zimbabwe and South Africa, noting that in 2008 it was even worse as even accessing chemotherapy drugs was difficult during the country’s hyper inflationary period.
“My husband once used a cooler box to collect medication from an industrial-area pharmacy,” she recalled.
Expenses reach up to US$10 000 for tests, chemotherapy, and hospital fees. Losing her breast was one of the hardest parts in her journey, “As a woman, having your breasts is a good thing… now you’re looking at yourself, thinking, what am I going to do?” A prosthesis helped restore her confidence.
Unlike Sister Irene, Takawira had the unwavering support of her husband and three children, which became central to her healing. “My husband was very supportive, even now. That was a big plus.”
After her mastectomy, she completed six rounds of chemotherapy at a private hospital. Radiotherapy wasn’t possible due to faulty equipment at the public hospital. Today, 17 years later, Takawira continues regular check-ups and remains cancer-free.
“Cancer is a monster, you have to put up a fight. During treatment, many feel like giving up. But to anyone newly diagnosed or on chemo, we can win this battle, as long as we fight for our lives. Cancer doesn’t kill, time does. Cancer isn’t a death sentence. It can be treated,” she stated.
Crediting her stage 3 cancer survival to faith and resilience, Takawira declared that some people were chosen to survive through the grace of God, pointing out that she has seen people with stage five cancer surviving.
Takawira said she changed her lifestyle to support her recovery, adding that managing stress, eating better, exercising, even the way she relates with others mattered. She now shares her journey through the media and outreaches.
“I’m not ashamed to talk about breast cancer. I might inspire someone. That’s what keeps me going.” A poster in her home reads :“I want someone to look at me and say, I didn’t give up because of you.” Takwira tells others in the survivors’ groups:
“Everything I went through was for a reason, to encourage, to give hope. When someone says, ‘I’m giving up,’ I say, ‘I’m 17 years in, I didn’t give up.’ That keeps them going.” She is a regional rep for Reach for Recovery International, is a Global Hero of Hope with the American Cancer Society, and a tireless volunteer with the CAZ and all while working as a dental surgery administrator.
The journeys of Sister Irene and Takawira stand as powerful testimony that resilience, faith, and grit can overcome even the fiercest diagnosis, and that no matter the stage, cancer can be challenged and defeated.
New Ziana
