Betty Moleya
Pretoria - Nicoline du Toit, famously known as President Cyril Ramaphosa’s and ministerial briefings sign language interpreter, is in need of funds to assist her in her medical journey.
Du Toit requires treatment after she was diagnosed with a rare type of bone marrow cancer.
The sign language interpreter from Pretoria is a twin sister and a single mother of two, with a son in Grade 10 and a married daughter.
She and her twin sister, Nicolette, were born to deaf parents and that is why Nicoline learnt to sign – both the sisters do not have their parent’s condition.
Nicoline is a freelance sign language interpreter and only gets paid if she works.
She is on the waiting period for a medical aid and meanwhile her bills are piling up.
“I do have medical aid, but I joined it last year in June and due to the pandemic, I could not afford to be on medical aid,” said Nicoline.
Her daughter, Danielle van Staden, wrote to Jacaranda FM’s Good Morning Angels Fund seeking help on her behalf.
The team reached out to the family and assisted Nicoline with R30 000 to cover the co-payment of a cataract operation before she starts her cancer treatment in March, as well as other costs related to diabetes.
In the letter, Danielle described Nicoline as a woman with the greatest heart for the deaf community of South Africa.
“No matter what personal struggles she might be going through, she will always make time to assist the deaf community and friends and family without thinking twice,” read the letter.
Nicoline is diabetic and went for a routine consultation in November at her doctor, where it was decided that she needed to do a full blood check to make sure that she is healthy.
She said she was reluctant to do the blood work as she knows that they uncover hidden diagnoses but was convinced by her doctor to do it, to check if her insulin was in order.
Unfortunately the diagnosis was not something they expected and she had to undergo a bone-marrow biopsy in December where it showed that she has Myeoproliferaative neoplasm. It is a rare bone marrow cancer that is not curable.
She also has a severe cataract and she needs to undergo an operation that will cost R15 000 for each eye.
“She needs to go for cataract removal in both her eyes and the co-payment is around R15 000 which she does not have.
“She does have medical aid, but she is still in the waiting period of a year due to her diabetes and all related costs surrounding her diabetes are also for her own pocket,” said Danielle.
If she does not undergo the cataract operation, it will affect her eyesight and she will not be able to drive herself to work.
Despite the challenges that she is going through, Nicoline is thankful and makes time to assist the deaf community and friends and family.
Pretoria News