Cape Town blogger Mia van der Merwe’s stage III breast cancer diagnosis sparked a viral BackaBuddy campaign that raised R1.1 million in just months — proof that strangers, festive spirit, and raw storytelling can turn despair into unstoppable hope.
A 20-year-old from Bizana, Eastern Cape, endured two years of TB treatment while lymphoma spread unchecked. Misdiagnosed at a rural clinic lacking biopsy tools, Sinentlahla Shinga died weeks after tumors were finally found in 2025—exposing deadly gaps in South Africa’s ...
He died peacefully at home surrounded by family and friends and boundless love.
