Zoleka Mandela is smiling through the pain and continues to share her experience in her battle with cancer.
The granddaughter of Struggle stalwarts Nelson and Winnie Mandela shared the news of her milestone of reaching her 10th and final radiation treatment .
She said : “02.05.2023🧡 Dear Diary! Guess what happened today? I had my last and 10th Radiation Treatment to my brain. 🙏🏾 I even got to take my Radiation Mask with me, as memorabilia!!! 🧡 My Radiation Oncologist has also asked me to discontinue the STEROIDS, I’m back home and feeling indebted!!! 🤗 Next form of treatments is with my Medical Oncologist. Peace. Passion. Positivity. #TerminallyFree #ZolekaMandela 🧡
Mandela who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, followed with two more cancer diagnoses after the first and in 2022 announced the return of cancer throughout her body.
Fans celebrated the mother of five’s victory.
jessicankosi wrote: “Oh mama. Siyabonga 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽”
nandi_madid wrote: “Congrats ❤️”
jenniferbala wrote:“ Awesome news Zozo! Congratulations! 🙏🏽♥️🎉”
nozibele1843 wrote: “So happy for u babe now on to the next. . We've got this( yes I said We.... coz me and the rest of the country are praying for u.... we love u..... we need u in our Instagram lives..... scratch that we need u in our real lives..... Ur such a power house Zoleka..... Such an inspiration..... Ur a million times a woman than most of us wish to be.....so full of life so real and living the truth..... How u do it I don't know but I know whos child u r..... A child of God🙏well done mamacita❤️😍Peace.Passion.Positivity.”
Three days after her final treatment, Mandela shared another update about her condition and said she was challenged with her health again.
In a picture added to her post, she wrote: “05.05.2023 🤍- Dear Diary! When I speak or listen, it sounds like we’re sitting in a fish tank! Don’t laugh. 🤣 Here are some of the side effects I’ve been experiencing since my 10th Radiation Treatment: extreme fatigue, watery and red eyes that are sore to the touch and sensitive to light, weakness in my legs, pain in my cheeks (so freaking weird) 😂, pain in my spine, chest, hip, left side of my head, stomach and joints. Thank Heavens for painkillers!!! 😊 Using eyes drops and a cold face cloth as a compress on my eyes (really) helps, so does stretching (and walking up and down my corridor), as well as SLEEPING!!! 😴 I’ve already reached my HIGHLIGHT for today, walking properly!!! 🙏🏾 Peace. Passion. Positivity. #TerminallyFree #ZolekaMandela 🤍
Followers and friends continued to send her positive messages.
jenniferbala wrote: “Praying for your healing in Jesus’ name. 🙏🏽♥️ You got this far and that’s incredible. Sending you big hugs. 🫂”
angelovaaltyn wrote: Hey my sister. I know that exact feeling. I've been through that process and God healed me.Hold on to your faith. You will get through. You are in my prayers.“
zamo_nono wrote: “Though I don't know you personally, you're one of the strongest people I know!! 🙌❤️ Yooh sis you're such a fighter 💪🏽💪🏽. I feed from your strength so much and being an Aries as well I tell myself that I can overcome anything nam when tough times come coz ngbonela kuwe.”
In April, the author and activist opened up about her cancer battle, revealing that she is having conversations with her loved ones about the days leading to her death.