Natascha celebrates another running goal achieved
ROAD RUNNING
Natascha with her beloved daughter Stephanie
brought heartache when her mother passed away from cancer . Then came the completely unexpected news in 2010 that she also had cancer . “ I had been experiencing some strange symptoms in my breast , like something was pulling , but I ignored it at first . Then one morning I woke and felt a lump in my breast . I had just started a new job and had to ask for leave , but the next day I had a mammogram and sonar , and then the specialist told me it was cancer ,” says Natascha .
“ They then did a biopsy on the cyst that confirmed the diagnosis , and within two weeks it had grown much bigger , but I was lucky that they could remove it . I then had to follow that with medication , and I was eventually told I was cancer-free . I now go for tests every 18 months and my last test early this year showed I was still clear . However , the meds caused me to put on a lot of extra weight , as I wasn ’ t eating properly and didn ’ t exercise , so I shot up to 80kg . I still wasn ’ t doing any running , so the weight stayed on .”
Loss After Loss
With the cancer behind her , Natascha was faced with another personal crisis just two years later when she and her husband decided to get divorced after 27 years of marriage . “ We had simply grown apart , and I was angry at first , because nothing made sense anymore , but today we are good friends . We both remarried , and he was even a guest at my second wedding in 2016 . The two couples even go camping together , and it all turned out for the best ,” says Natascha , adding that she became a step-mom to her second husband ’ s three kids , one of whom has Downs Syndrome . to sleep for a few hours . The next morning I went to work for a meeting , and heard that my youngest grandson had been born , but then the hospital phoned to tell me I should come immediately , as he didn ’ t have much time left . It was another two-hour drive , and when I got to him , my heart just broke into pieces seeing him just lying there . I told him that his great grandson had been born , and I also told him he can go if he wants to join mom , and he died peacefully , in my arms .”
The Greatest Shock
Having lost both parents , overcome cancer and dealt with her divorce in the space of just over six years , Natascha says that getting remarried to Johan van Zyl in 2016 restored some happiness to her life , but another loss was just around the corner , as her brother suddenly passed away just days after her wedding . They had been quite close , so that was another huge shock , but still more heartache was to come for Natascha in 2017 …
Her daughter Stephanie was living in nearby Brackenfell , where she worked from home as a beautician , and Natascha says they were very close . “ She often worked after hours and on weekends , but on Friday afternoons , when I finished work in Montague Gardens at two o ’ clock , I would drive to Brackenfell and we would spend the afternoon together . We were like best friends . On the morning of Friday 3 February , I spoke to her at 6:30 , and she still said , ‘ see you later , Mommy , love you .’
Taking on The Grind in memory of Stef
Images : Courtesy Natascha van Zyl
Before that , however , she suffered another loss when her 64-year-old father passed away in 2015 . “ He worked as a chemical engineer and when he retired , he and my mom moved to Bredasdorp . He stayed there after she passed away , and I would visit him regularly . I saw him on a Sunday and all was fine , but the next morning he fell and was found by the medical carer that looked in on him daily ,” says Natascha .
“ The carer phoned me and said he went to hospital by ambulance , so I rushed through after work and stayed with him till late , then went back to Stellenbosch
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