During the second Cancer Survivors Celebration held on 4 August 2001,in Cape Town ; the possibility of launching a special cancer survivor’s organisation was discussed the first time by Carl Liebenberg and Linda Greeff.
It was envisaged that this non-profit organisation will have the task of:
- lobbying and advocating for the needs and issues that burden cancer patients and their caregivers; and
- offering a “buddy” support network where cancer patients can interact with and receive advice and support from cancer survivors who have a similar profile and disease and treatment protocol – much like the support network that the breast cancer patients have in the “Reach for Recovery” organisation.
People Living With Cancer [“PLWC”] was registered on 24 October 2002, in terms of section 21 of the Companies Act, 61 of 1973, to develop a national support system for those who have been diagnosed and who are living with cancer.
A Pilot group of Cancer Buddies were selected and trained at the end of 2005 and a 2nd group in 2006 . The Total amount of cancer Buddies in Cape Town now is 26.
A branch of PLWC was formed in Nelspruit in 2006 but no buddies have as yet been trained in this area.
Port Elizabeth joined the Buddy’s in 2006 as well and have 15 trained Buddy’s.
In January 2008 the Pretoria group was formed and trained their first Cancer Buddy’s with a few buddy’s to get Johannesburg started during March 2008on the west and East rand of Johannesburg.
