Life-saving surgery for 19-year-old with cancerous tumour
Jacaranda FM's Good Morning Angels and our amazing sponsors came together to help super-mum Jane Mokwena save her 19-year-old son, Kamogelo, who has a cancerous tumour growing towards his brain.
Nineneen-year-old Kamogelo is in a race against time to save his life. A cancerous tumour in his upper jaw is growing towards his brain and needs to be removed urgently.
A similar tumour was removed from his jaw at a state hospital in Emalahleni last year. This required the removal of bone and teeth in his upper jaw.
After many trips between state hospitals in Emalahleni and Pretoria, a private doctor assisted in building him a proper mouth plate with dentures. However, the tumour was not removed completely, and now it's growing back, even more aggressively.
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Kamogelo is the second of three children of 47-year-old Jane Mokwena. Just a few months after Kamogelo’s operation last year, Jane lost her 26-year-old daughter to a sudden illness.
Despite this devastating loss, Jane had to stay strong for Kamogelo, his younger brother and her daughter’s son. She also cares for her 88-year-old mother, who has dementia, and her brother, who is blind.
Jane reached out to Sister Kraai Cilliers for assistance with Kamogelo, as she had exhausted all other options to save her child’s life.
Sister Cilliers phoned around and got help from doctors who are willing to perform Kamogelo's surgery free of charge. However, the theatre, prosthetics and hospital time needed for this intricate but urgent surgery come at a cost of R350,000.
They have started to raise the funds, but with time against them, Sister Kraai reached out to Good Morning Angels for assistance.
READ: Making a young woman's dreams of studying come true
Kamogelo is determined to get well and looks forward to a life where he can look after Jane.
"I want to go back to school and finish where I left off (he needs to complete Grades 11 and 12). Then I want to study IT. I want to build my mum a house and take care of her. My mum is always smiling, and I know inside she is crying for my sister and me."
REQUEST FOR: 19-year-old Kamogelo and his mum, Jane Mokwena
REQUEST FROM: Sister Kraai Cilliers
ANGEL 1: Anneke Mills, representing We Buy Cars
SPONSORING: We Buy Cars will assist with a donation of R50,000 towards the cost of Kamogelo’s life-saving surgery.
ANGEL 2: Anria van Heerden from the Caring Daisies
SPONSORING: The Caring Daisies will contribute R50,000 towards the cost of Kamogelo’s life-saving surgery.
ANGEL 3: The Good Morning Angels Fund NPC
SPONSORING: The Good Morning Angels Fund will contribute R100,000 towards Kamogelo's life-saving surgery.
ORIGINAL REQUEST
Dear Good Morning Angels,
Her name is Thabisile Jane Mokwena, probably the strongest woman I know. Jane is always smiling. Spare me a few minutes to tell you her story…
Jane is the mother of three. 2024 was not kind to Jane. Her firstborn passed away on 31 July 2024, aged only 26. Her second child, Kamogelo, born 26 June 2006 (currently 19), was also diagnosed in 2024 with osteosarcoma of the maxilla. On 27 February 2024, an anterior maxillectomy was performed at Witbank Provincial Hospital. A tumour showing cortical expansion on both the labial and palatal surfaces was identified. The tumour measured 3 x 2.5 x 2 cm and extended from the labial aspect of the maxilla to the palatal soft tissue.
Jane needed to borrow R3,000 from her employer because the government did not include the prosthesis. These dentures kept falling out and, after four unsuccessful attempts in theatre (Witbank), Dr Mohotlhoane referred Kamogelo to Steve Biko – Oral and Dental Department due to stability challenges. Unfortunately, the system failed them. They were sent back and forth between Witbank Provincial and Steve Biko with no success or assistance.
In early February 2025, I met Jane. She asked for my advice regarding Kamogelo. He could not eat because the wires in his mouth cut into the flesh and the dentures kept falling out. I phoned Dr Corlia van Straten, a Maxillofacial and Oral Surgeon. She helped Kamogelo. Although she is a private practitioner, she prescribed antibiotics, made him a plate, and assisted whenever Kamogelo needed help. To this day, she has not asked us for a cent. Dr M.S. Tayob, our employer, and I paid whatever was needed. We also sent Kamogelo to a psychologist to help him deal with his emotions and difficulty adapting.
In mid-2025, Kamogelo presented with a rapidly enlarging malignant tumour in the area of the previous resection. The tumour was very firm and immobile, extending into the right nasal passage. Dr van Straten took a local biopsy, and the pathologist requested a larger one. A biopsy under sedation was performed, and the histology confirmed the malignant nature of the tumour, showing spindle cell proliferation and the inclusion of neurovascular structures.
Dr van Straten requested an MRI of the head and neck structures to evaluate the extent of the malignancy, skin involvement, and metastasis. On 29 August 2025, the MRI revealed a large solid mass arising from the medial aspect of the right maxilla, measuring 46.1 mm wide, 31.7 mm anteroposteriorly, and 31.2 mm long. There was mass effect on the upper lip with infiltration, compression of the right nasal passage, and scalloping along the hard palate. We paid all the bills, and Dr van Straten helped pro bono.
Dr van Straten referred Kamogelo to Dr J. Kluge. Both Dr Kluge and Prof J.H. van den Heever examined him on Friday, 5 September 2025 (pro bono). Both doctors explained the urgency of surgical intervention. Osteosarcoma is a very aggressive type of bone cancer that originates in the cells responsible for forming new bone tissue, hence its rapid spread.
The doctors are all prepared to give their time and skill free of charge, but the prosthetics, theatre time, materials, and ICU care will cost R350,000.
Special nutrition and food for the first two months will cost R20,000.
The cancer has infiltrated his upper jaw and nasal septum. The tumour is millimetres from his brain, and the lymphatic and vascular systems are at risk.
Please help us. Please help Kamogelo. Please help Jane. Regardless of the pain of losing her daughter last year, she is also taking care of her 88-year-old mother with dementia and her blind brother. Her youngest son and grandchild are also her priority. We need to fight for Kamogelo’s life. Her salary of R13,000 per month does not even cover her monthly expenses.
Kamogelo will need treatment and consultations post-operatively to ensure he is disease-free, and I am sure all of us would be willing to help (pro bono).
The prosthodontic cost includes the material and manufacturing of an immediate facial prosthesis and obturator supported by implants to create separate oral and nasal cavities. Without this, speech and swallowing would be impossible, and with a possible facial defect, his quality of life would also be severely affected. During the healing phase, the tissues will shrink and change, and the obturator and facial prosthesis will need to be adapted every three months. The quoted amount will therefore cover the prosthetic cost for the next 18 months to two years.
When I asked Kamogelo what his dream is, he replied:
“I want to go back to school and finish where I left off (I need to complete Grades 11 and 12). Then I want to study IT. I want to build my mum a house and take care of her. My mum is always smiling, and I know inside she is crying for my sister and me.”
Thank you,Sister Kraai Cilliers
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