Zelda Delgado

Breast cancer gave me the biggest love

Just as went into remission and was about to pop a bottle of champagne in celebration, my phone rang – it was my sister calling from Cape Town, South Africa.  “Finally!” I thought to myself. I had been trying to get a hold of her for some time and she hadn’t been returning my calls. She was busy, looking after mum who was about to turn 90, 9 hour time difference between us, so generally life gets in the way. However, while we don’t talk as much as we’d both like, it had been an abnormally long period, even for us. 

I called again and was actually shocked when she answered the call. 

I was about to give her a little grief for going dark on me, but the minute she said hello, I knew something was wrong.

Nothing could have prepared me for what she was about to tell me.

Less than 2 weeks prior, my sister had been diagnosed with Stage 3 Lobular Breast cancer.  It all started to come back to me. 

My ordeal, my fears and agony! I wish I was in Cape Town just to hold her and hug her! 

“She’s 59 years old – a wife, a mother.  She’s my sister! This. Could. Not. Be. Happening,” I thought to myself. I took a deep breath. “You are the strongest person I know, and you are going to get through this,” I said to her. “We are going to get through this.” 

A million other thoughts were racing around my head: How serious is this? It’s treatable, right? Is she going to have to have chemo? Will she lose her hair? Will she get to keep her breasts? Why hadn’t she called me sooner? How could she have kept this from me for so long?

As we talked, I learned it was treatable, she was going to have a mastectomy and come rain or high water I was going to be by her side. As for not calling sooner, I soon understood why. 

“I’ve tried to call you so many times, but I just couldn’t go through with it,” she said. “All I’ve been able to think about since being diagnosed is ‘my little sister had it but what if she gets it again?’” 

Here she is going through the most horrific experience of her life, and she’s thinking about me and the possibility of us sharing the same ordeal. I was momentarily dumbfounded.

I immediately jumped online and booked the next flight out to Cape Town. I arrived two days after her surgery and seeing her in hospital looking all happy was the best day of my life. That was a moment I will treasure for the rest of my life. 

Since then we go for our check ups regularly and I am comforted and I’m grateful every day that my sister had the courage to have that conversation with me and that we now have a much closer bond because of it. 

Breast cancer gave me the biggest love! It gave me the love my sister like no other love. 

I’m helping save lives, one tasty course at a time!

This October, I’m taking on the 3 Course Challenge to raise funds for breast cancer trials research. I want to help protect the 1 in 7 women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.

By donating to my page, you’ll help fund clinical trials that are finding new ways to treat, prevent and ultimately cure breast cancer. Your tax-deductible donation would be so appreciated and help make a real difference.

I’m sure it will be no easy feat but I’ll have top chef Sarah Todd to help me! I can’t wait to give it a go, have some fun and cook to help find a cure for breast cancer.