‘A moment of peace’: Mense rally to grant brave cancer warrior Ashante her beach wish

WHAT started as a simple Facebook tag turned into a powerful show of ubuntu after mense came together to grant a young cancer warrior her wish of spending a peaceful weekend by the ocean with her family.

​Shantelle Engelbrecht, who runs the Colored Girls Rock Facebook page, told the Daily Voice that she was tagged in a post shared by Kids-Can Cancer Foundation about Ashante Petersen, 20, and her journey.

​The post detailed that she has been fighting a 5-year battle of brain cancer, and at 13 years old began experiencing seizures. Two years later, doctors discovered that the cause was a brain tumour.

​They further appealed for assistance to grant her wish of spending a quiet weekend by the ocean with her family, describing it as “a moment of peace in a world that has asked far too much of her.”​

Engelbrecht explained: “After a few days of the post being up, I contacted Kids-Can, and I asked if she was sorted out, and he said no. I was saddened.​

“Then I appealed to my followers on my page.

"I contacted the owners of one of the properties I usually promote, which is in St. Helena Bay.​

“I sent them the post and asked what the chances of their home being available in the next few weeks, and immediately they said they were happy to do this.”​

Friends at Oppikaai Seafood Restaurant also offered to give Ashante and her family a voucher, while Saffron & Vanilla, a catering company, sorted them with a dinner free of charge.​ And it all snowballed from there.​

Engelbrecht added: “Another guy who lives in Pretoria, who said he has holiday club stuff and said he would be happy to book them accommodation with his points. It took about two hours, and everybody had come together.​“

"Others who wanted to donate, I provided them with Kids-Can’s banking details. They are planning to drive them from Cape Town to St. Helena Bay and stay with them so that if there is a health emergency, they are not stranded without transport.”​

Fuel, transportation, groceries, and accommodation were all sorted in one day.​

Pastors Dane and Tertia Mesane from Christ Culture Church also offered to take Ashante, her mom, and her sibling out for a beach day on 7 February, while the actual beach holiday is set for 20 February.

​Ashante's mother, Heslynne Petersen, told the Daily Voice that the beach trip to Sea Point was magnificent through God’s Grace.

​Petersen said: “The pastors are such amazing people who really showed love and compassion for what Ashante is facing on a daily basis.​

“For a young lady that hasn’t had a chance to breathe life and has only known pain and hospital beds, she is over the moon with gratitude and excitement.”

Kashieef Lakay of Kids-Can Cancer Foundation said that he connected with Petersen a few years ago and from that moment they supported the family through their journey.

He said: "Putting the weekend together came from that same place — love, relationship, and community. When people understand a child’s story, they show up in the most incredible ways."