“She made broken look beautiful and strong look invincible. She walked with the Universe on her shoulders and made it look like a pair of wings.”
This poem, written by author and poet Ariana Dancu, could have been written about Landy Yeatman of Pristine Moods Productions, who has been bravely battling breast cancer for the past year.
Landy is a single mom to two daughters and a valuable member of the Pristine Moods team. After a divorce, Landy received the devastating news that she had stage 3B breast cancer last year October, which set her on a life-changing journey that has seen her undergo gruelling chemotherapy and radiation treatment, a bilateral mastectomy and months of intensive treatment to overcome the disease.
While many of us would buckle under the burden of such an enormous struggle, Landy has continued to fight, work and raise her daughters against all the odds. “The past year has been quite a journey,” Landy reflects. “For me, it’s no longer about the quantity of time I have, it’s about quality. I appreciate everything so much more and live every moment to the fullest. I sometimes see people who are angry and frustrated with everyday situations, and while I used to have days like that too, I have realised that life is so precious, there is just no time to waste on being unhappy!”
After months of highly reactive chemotherapy and radiation, Landy’s cancer is finally in remission. However, cancer therapy has taken an enormous toll on her health, and she is currently struggling with a range of complications, including severe anaemia, a heart condition and suppressed immunity. “While I am finally in remission, I have severe anaemia and I have sustained permanent damage to my heart. This means that I am still vulnerable and need constant monitoring,” Landy explains. “The treatment has also affected my immune system, and my white blood count is still dangerously low. In addition to the scans, blood tests, cultures and swabs that I need to have, I now need to undergo a bone marrow biopsy.”
Landy is seeing a team of specialist at the Milpark Hospital, who have collectively supervised her care over the past year. “I have to see a cardiologist once a month because the treatment has damaged my heart. I also have monthly check-ups with a pulmonologist for my lungs and a haematologist who is monitoring my blood thinners, anaemia and white blood cell count. While I am deeply appreciative of the care that I have received, it comes at an enormous cost. My appointments with the oncologists are paid for by my medical aid, but I have to absorb all of the other consultation costs, co-payments and levies myself, in addition to my monthly meds, which currently cost about R2500.” As we all know, medical care in South Africa comes at an enormous cost, and by April, Landy’s medical aid savings were already depleted.
“I have so much to fight for, and I could not have done it without the love and support of my partner, Damian, as well as Lior Manelis and the whole team at Pristine Moods. I have received unwavering care and support from the people around me, and I have never felt so loved,” says Landy.
SOS, a charitable organisation administered by DWR Distribution to assist people and families in the theatre and live events industries during times of need, has extended its support to Landy as she navigates the tough financial waters that her illness has placed before her and her family. In June of this year, the SOS donated R25,000 to her back-a-buddy account, and, as Landy faces the next hurdle in her journey towards recovery, the fund recently allocated a further R20,000 to her cause.
“We would not be in a position to assist members of our industry community like this without the support of our colleagues in the entertainment industry. Thank you to everyone who has contributed both of their time and financially to the SOS,” says Duncan Riley of DWR Distribution.
Landy Yeatman has an active back-a-buddy campaign to raise funds for her ongoing medical care; please follow the link if you are in a position to lend a hand.
