Thabang - Baby X

The human condition is truly remarkable, especially in the cases of the youth. The internet is full of extraordinary stories about children who have faced challenges at which most adults would crumble. In each story, the journey is never easy; but in the end, the hero emerges triumphant. In my opinion, the most beautiful trait that every human shares, is the ability to feel sympathy for somebody that you have never even met – and what a miraculous thought this is. This week, I am going to tell all of the Smooch Africa readers a story about a child who grew up to be a phenomenal person… this is the story of Thabang.

From his earliest years, Thabang did not have it easy in life. When he was merely a month old, he was diagnosed with stomach cancer, but this was only after he was found at the doorstep of a hospital in Gauteng, where he had been left without a trace of identification. The years that followed were tough, and he spent his childhood in the paediatric oncology ward of the hospital, fighting for his life. He says that his earliest memories are lying in a hospital bed, sick to his stomach. But Thabang was not ready to give up this fight – because somehow, he knew that there was a world out there that was too beautiful to be missed. So he battled his illness whilst other children his age did not have a care in the world. Then, after so many excruciating years, the joyful news came: Thabang was finally free from cancer.

In a flash, his life changed. He moved out of the paediatric oncology ward and into a boarding school, and was no longer plagued by the tubes and machines that had become a commonplace. He could now actually start his life, and soon, Thabang began to mould into the pattern of normality that adolescent life follows. He had finally reclaimed his childhood.

In the coming years, Thabang passed grade 12, and with the help of a government bursary, he studied a Bachelor of Law, followed by a postgraduate LLB degree. Thabang always retained a passion for humanity, and in pursuit of this ideal, he went on to specialise in human rights. He is currently busy doing his articles, and says that he cannot wait to begin practising, and one of his biggest dreams is to better basic healthcare in rural areas in South Africa.

This is the story of Thabang, and how he rose above his adversity to become the person that he is today… only, it isn’t. This is a story that I would like to imagine happening in the very near future, but sadly, this is not the truth. I made up nearly this entire story, except for one fact. Although Thabang is a real person, this is not his story. What follows is the reality of the boy that I have given the name ‘Thabang’, a name meaning ‘rejoice’ in Sesotho.

When the little child was one month old, he was found at a hospital in Gauteng, in a critical condition that was later diagnosed as stomach cancer. Because he was never formally registered in the hospital’s system, he never received a name. In all the time he has been at the hospital, he has been identified by a number. He is now seven months old, and fighting for his life with a ferocity that I cannot begin to comprehend. I would like to imagine that one day, he will grow up to be the Thabang that I have written about, but for this I can only hope.

This story was told to me by my mother, who met the little boy I call Thabang whilst on the 2017 Cancervive ride. Although I know little about him, he has left a massive footprint on my heart, and I will never forget him. Thabang is strength, because although he has lived so little, he fights battles bigger than I have ever faced. He is hope, although he knows not how much he means to the world. He is love, because although he does not have a name, his legacy will touch people more than a name ever will.