Abigail wants to live
"He constantly said he does not want to do life without me" - Abigail.
BESIDES being a businesswoman, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Abigail Runganaikulu (50) from Aspen Hills is a woman, a wife, a mother and a grandmother who loves her family.
She got married to Colin at the age of 20 and they since had a business together which is 24 years old. They were blessed with a son, Ryan (now 28). Abigail remembers that she battled to have children after him, and it was said that she will never have children because of endometriosis.
“I threw myself into our business for most of the time until I was 44 years old. That’s when I found out I was pregnant, and I have to admit, it threw my life out for a bit. Imagine you are 44 and your son is at the brink of being married and here you are pregnant. I knew God was speaking to me and when He speaks you must listen,” explained Abigail.
Her gynaecologist advised her to abort the baby because it was always risky to have a baby at that age. “I ignored the gynaecologist because he did not understand the conversations I had with God, he did not understand the worthiness I felt of having another child after a long time. I had a bouncy baby boy, I named him Caleb because he was brave to come from the old lady like me,” she remembered.
When Abigail remembers those days she recalls how happy they were as a family to have Caleb however when he was only two years an unexpected episode of life happened.
“I remembered rubbing my breast feeling that lump. And that nagging feeling of the big ‘C’ just couldn’t let me go. When I went for a scan the doctor confirmed that I could have cancer, with the whole history that I took down, my sister had cancer at 34, I lost two aunts to breast cancer and my uncle was diagnosed with breast cancer,” she said.
Abigail, accompanied by her husband, went to do a biopsy and three days later it was confirmed that she had breast cancer. For Abigail this was the worst time of her life because she was not sure how far the cancer had gone and all she thought about was dying. “The moment was a bittersweet one because God had just gave me a child and now I had cancer. I had so many questions; however, one thing I knew was that God is there to answer all my questions,” she said.
Chemotherapy was the next step for her, and she said it is a vicious treatment of the body. “I finished this treatment two years ago, however I still have after-effects. It was the only way that they could save my life. Three people in my team made me believe I could beat this: my God, my doctor – Professor Carol Benn from Breast Health Foundation in Milpark – and my husband,” noted Abigail.
The final treatment after the chemo was to remove her breasts. She told the doctor she can do the full amputation or mastectomy of her breasts. She said her husband was standing beside her through all the treatments. “I could see it in his eyes. He was falling apart but he held on because we’ve been together so long. He constantly said he does not want to live life without me,” she said.
Abigail, who is now cancer free, is launching her autobiography book called ‘My stupid brain was cut off with my right breast’. In this book she details her journey from the age of six until now. It will be launched at Mugg and Bean, Mall of the South on Wednesday, June 22 from 16:00. She can be contacted at abigail@worldonline.co.za.
