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CEO of Kingswood Golf Estate Willem Jacobs says there are countless reasons why his daughter has a better chance at recovery when cared for in the comfort of her own room – and the home owners of Kingswood Estate, along with George’s golfing fraternity, are giving their all to contribute to the astronomical costs of this close-to-home campaign.
THE first Wednesday in February was a glorious day in all senses of the word; not only did it offer the kind of weather that tempts tourists to converge on the Garden Route from all corners of the globe, but was also fêted by bathers and water-sports buffs following a presidential announcement that the area’s beaches could reopen after access was prohibited in December 2020.
Among the revellers at Herold’s Bay were dad and daughter Willem and Anelda Jacobs – the latter a particularly talented swimmer, whose off-the-scale results at junior level had already attracted the attention of Olympic pool luminaries like Chad le Clos.
Anelda had come a long way since the devastating day that changed her life four years earlier.
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In September 2017, the bright youngster’s academic and sporting career received a staggering blow that left her immediate family, friends, and the wider George community reeling: Anelda was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, which had by then spread to her left hip, right femur and bone marrow.
‘Her cancer was declared as Stage 4 and the oncologists gave her scant chance of survival,’ says Willem.
The months following Anelda’s October 2017 chemotherapy kick-off were fraught with pain from radiation and surgical procedures, and profound concern for her wellbeing, but – along with mom Anemi and older siblings Edward and Christiaan – Willem never stopped praying for a miracle.
And then it happened: ‘By November 2018, she was declared cancer-free and in remission. Her medical team was amazed, and even the primary oncologist used words like “miraculous”,’ Willem recalls.
Anelda rejoined her Grade 7 buddies in 2019, and completed her primary schooling with flying colours. Her life now back to normal, she braced herself for the excitement of signing up at Outeniqua High, ‘her spirit intact and filling those around her with love and light,’ according to Willem.
But the school term had hardly started when a lump was discovered on his daughter’s head. ‘Tests confirmed that the sarcoma had spread to Anelda’s skull and surrounding soft tissue,’ Willem explains, adding that another year of chemo and radiation ensued. They were due to consult a paediatric surgical specialist at Red Cross Hospital in Cape Town in the second week of February.
‘What happened on the afternoon of 3 February, I would not wish upon my worst enemy,’ says Willem.
‘Anelda was so excited to brave the sea again, and wasted no time getting in there, but then she suddenly disappeared in knee-deep water, with a boogie-board strapped to her arm. Specialists agreed that she must have suffered some form of neurological event that caused her to inhale massive amounts of water in less than 30 seconds.’
Events on the beach that late afternoon are well documented: the 20 minutes of resuscitation efforts by an ICU nurse and on-hand medical doctor; the double defibrillation by paramedics that shocked her heart back into action; the discovery upon arrival at George Mediclinic that both her lungs had collapsed.
Anelda remained in ICU for 64 days. She had suffered extensive brain damage due to hypoxia, and the family learnt that this would prevent further treatment of the aggressive cancer now growing uninhibited in her skull. They were told that palliative care, which treats end-of-life pain but not its symptoms, was their best course of action.
Willem decided to scale down his corporate responsibilities when Anelda was first diagnosed, changing his career to benefit his close-knit family. ‘It’s a decision I’ll never regret. I’ve spent more time with Anelda these past four years than in all her life before the cancer.’
Along with Anemi and the boys, he decided against the hospice option; none of them was prepared to say their goodbyes, as categorically instructed.
‘We were warned about the challenges of looking after Anelda at home and, as anticipated, our lives have changed irrevocably. But there is no doubt about the progress made since she first squeezed my hand while still in hospital, from clinically comatose to the girl who now giggles when our dogs jump on the bed, or her brother pulls her toes.’
Willem says that CBD oil and other natural cancercountering ointments, administered by her family and the carers permanently on duty, have prevented the cranial tumour from expanding. This is lending credence to their belief that the mammoth task of attending to someone as sick as their daughter is possible and, indeed, most effectively done at home.
But apart from the grave emotional toll, there is no denying that the price of Anelda’s care (consider that one day in ICU costs around R32,000 – and that’s before consultation with a single specialist of the large contingent checking on her regularly) can destroy any family.
Willem has served Kingswood as CEO since 2019, and is widely respected in golf circles, while his family is being bolstered by prayer meetings and emotional support.
Kingswood home owners and management organised a fundraising weekend from 14 to 16 May to help alleviate his soaring financial burden. It was a great success, and at the same time everyone had a whole lot of fun.
