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Health

SPORTS OPINION Islands Business
Islands Business
I cheated death twice

By Nanise Volau In 2013, she had her final surgery.
With prayers and her faith she was
ASENA Senimoli survived two death cleared of cancer.
experiences- her heart beat stopped, she Six years later, Senimoli shares her
felt the pain, slowly slipped away and testimony whenever and wherever she
was ready to go. can.
But God saved her life those two times Meanwhile, cancer is already respon-
for a higher purpose. sible for 10 per cent of all deaths in Fiji,
Three years later, breast cancer survi- with a total of 1280 new cases recorded
vor Senimoli looks back on life’s journey annually, and it continues to increase.
that has so far been truly interesting, The Fiji Cancer Society says the cost
blessed and fulfilling. Second chance ... Asena Senimoli celebrates life with her of treatment is extremely high and only
In February 2009, Senimoli discov- children. Photo: Supplied available to those who can afford it.
ered a lump on her left breast. She that she would return to the hospital to “Since 2012 mortality has varied be-
showed no fear and visited a private be examined and screened. tween 50-60 per cent and women are
consultant at Diyaz Health Centre for In 2012, she again agreed for a biospy more than twice as likely to develop
a check-up. test, chich was again positive. In 2013, cancer than men,” a society statement
To her surprise, the doctor explained Senimoli had her first surgery. statement said.
the lump was suspicious and probably “I can’t forget that morning,” she said “Cervical cancer and breast cancer are
cancerous. as tears streamed down her face. by far the most common, comprising 34
As a student of the Pacific Theologi- She held her husband’s hand and per cent of all cancers across both gen-
cal College pursuing a Bachelor Degree whispered that she was ready to leave, ders with unknown primaries, prostate
in Divinity, she did not want to be told the pain was unbearable and she needed and liver cancers being most common
she had cancer. peace. in men.”
But in 2010, her life changed when Senimoli’s children watched help- The findings showed that iTaukei are
the doctors told her she only had five lessly. more than twice as likely to have cancer
years to live. She listened to the pleading voice of than other ethnicity.
During that time, her hair was falling her then eight-year-old daughter, Mere, Society manager Belinda Chan said
and her body hot. crying: “Please mum don’t die. Don’t there had been a decrease in breast
Senimoli needed was ice water to cool leave me alone. cancer cases in the country.
off. She was restless and the pain was “Mummy if I graduate from university According to the statistics, there were
overwhelming. I would want you to dress me up in my 270 cases for females reported in 2015
Prayers and faith kept her alive. gown. compared with 37 cases last year.
In July 2010, she finally agreed to “When I turn 21, I would want you to For males, five cases were reported for
submit to treatment and study later. bake my cake and give me a key so that 2015 with one reported case last year.
Senimoli, however, consulted another I can live my life as a young woman. Chan said the organisation had an
doctor to verify the findings and confirm “If I get married I would want you to open door policy for women and men
whether she really had cancer. take me to my new home.” diagnosed with breast cancer.
The result was again positive. The plea was so powerful that it gave “Some come in for financial assis-
“It was hard to accept it, I was shaking Senimoli great spiritual, emotional and tance, some come in for a chat over a
in fear and all I could see are the faces physical strength to fight the cancer. cup of tea and at times some just need
of my children and grandchildren,” She recalled her husband’s prayer: someone to lend an ear,” she said.
Senimoli recalled. “Lord this is not the time to take her, “Our outreach programs are done with
That same afternoon, she returned please Lord I am not ready to be with- the help of our survivors who share
to her dormitory at PTC, knelt down out her” their journey and emphasis is always
and prayed: “God you can heal me, I Mr Senimoli was a Methodist minister placed on early detection. People are
have the faith of a mustard seed and I then, but he now serves as a lecturer at encouraged that if they feel that there
believed you can take this cancer away.” the Davuilevu Methodist Theological is something abnormal or amiss to visit
In 2011, after several trips to the College. your nearest health centre and request
hospital, she asked the doctor to sign “When I was listening I knew I had a referral to the oncology unit at Suva,
her out of medication. to be strong, sit up strengthen my faith Lautoka and Labasa hospitals.”
She did not trust the medication pre- and prayed a demanding prayer that if Ms Chan said FCS was purely a
scribed from the hospital and opted for I was to be given life I didn’t want a life supportive organisation and was not
traditional healing instead. with cancer.” involved in providing medical care.
The doctor agreed on the condition

Islands Business, October 2017 27