Stephanie Benson Embarks On A Walk For Cancer

Ghanaian UK-based sultry songstress, Stephanie Benson, who recently survived breast cancer, is training to embark on a walk on Mont Ventoux in France to raise funds for cancer.

Stephanie, who has been training for almost a month now, is joining the Dutch 'Singing for your Life' team to embark on the walk come Thursday, September 1, 2016.

The organisation has put up 31 choirs of cancer patients and their families in Holland. The participants come together every week or two to sing, which has direct effect on their body and spirit.

Stephanie, who sang with the choir in May this year in Amsterdam Concertgebouw, is seeking to raise £50,000 to promote better treatments for cancer, improved ways to live with the disease and to purchase a mobile mammogram for the Ghanaian society.

She said nothing compares to the struggle of all the people she has met with who are living with cancer.

“What I need from people is a pledge towards my goal; 60% of the funds will be for getting a mobile mammogram for Ghana and 40% towards the Dutch Cancer Society. Whatever one is able to pledge is a blessing,” Stephanie Benson told Weekend Finder.

In addition to the mobile mammogram, there would be a trained mammographer who will go around from town to town and screen women for free and teach women how to test themselves. She added that, “We have to prevent women from dying from breast cancer.

“I decided to join this wonderful cause to personally show people that there’s life after cancer. I am going to buy the mobile mammogram whether people donate or not. Just praying Ghanaians will want to be involved in this journey with me. It benefits everyone. I am one of the lucky ones, so let's make others lucky too.”

My life with cancer (Stephanie Benson)
On January 18, 2015, before my 48th birthday, after an appointment for a general smear test, I was made aware of some irregularities in the results, and a second test was required. The consultant made sure the test results were given to me the same day. On January 23, 2015, I found out I was in the early stages of ovarian cancer. In December 2014, my Aunt was diagnosed with bowel cancer, the last of the two remaining females of my mother’s family of five females and four males. My mother and my three aunts, including my two uncles, had died of some form of cancer before the age of 49 years, usually approximately 2 weeks to a month before their 49th birthday.

On January 26, 2015, I decided to have a mammogram to exclude the chance of breast cancer, as the family history of breast cancer was very dominant. It was two days later when I received a call to return for a second scan, and at this time I knew I had to have the strength I needed to get through this as I felt the inevitable was about to happen. And sure enough, it was confirmed to me on the 2nd of February, 2015.

I decided to just eliminate my breast so that the cancer does not have a chance to come back, my breast does not define me. I am still Stephanie Benson.

To help Stephanie Benson raise funds you can visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/the bensonfamilyfoundation to donate.