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LOCAL Thursday 4 May 2023

Jerwin Giel 8 years after cancer diagnosis:

“I want to be an inspiration for others”

(Oranjestad)—The world out and his lack of energy. he was done, but two days
celebrated World Cancer “The chemo was so strong later he was informed that
Day this past Saturday. This that I would taste it in my he had to go to The Nether-
is a day to raise aware- mouth and smell it whenev- lands to operate. They did
ness and prevention for er I went to the bathroom. not tell him what type of
a disease that many lose It kills the bad cells, but also operation it was in Aruba,
their lives to and that others the good ones,” He added. but he found out when he
overcome and keep fight- arrived in The Netherlands.
ing. In terms of the physical ef-
fects of the chemo, he “They told me that they
Jerwin Giel is one a young said that he felt them right would have to open me up
man who around 8 years away. From his first day of to remove all of my lymph
ago, had to confront the chemo, he noticed that his nodes, because they had
hardest challenge of his life ears started ringing, like a became a teratoma. That
when he was diagnosed firework went off right next meant that they found
with cancer. In an inter- to you. To this day, he still teeth, hair, nails etc.,” he
view with Bon Dia Aruba, experiences this ringing stated.
he shared his story and “I see it as selective hear-
provided in sight on his life ing now. Whenever I don’t Giel remarked that right
after his fight with testicular want to listen to someone, before he entered the op-
cancer at a young age. I just pretend that I can’t eration room, he cried for
Giel said that everything hear them. Again, trying the first time. “I cried a lot,
started with a simple back to see the good in all this,” and I just couldn’t stop, no
pain. He was in and out of Giel said. matter how hard I tried. The
the doctor’s office and re- nurses asked me to calm
ceived many medications He remembers the first time down, but I was hysterical;
for this pain, but nothing his hair starting to fall off. He I just had to let everything
seemed to work recalls that he was in class, out.”
and he decided the same
After that, he realized that day to shave it off. Giel told Giel highlighted that even
his sperm production be- the newspaper about one though he told his jour-
came scarce, and during of his fond memories dur- ney from his perspective,
one of his usual work outs, ing the new year, where with a strong and positive
he felt a pain he had never had stage 3-4 testicular that became something I they let him light a firework mindset, he remarks that
Papillon
PR
felt before. In that same cancer. “I told him to tell looked forward to. It was a outside the hospital parking he could not have gone
week, Giel said that he my family, because I’m a way to make it bearable,” lot. “During the process, I through it all without his
went to the doctor and ex- joker, and they wouldn’t he recalled. would see the positive and supportive system. “I will
plained his entire dilemma. believe me if I told them,” I stayed a happy person on forever be grateful for God
“When the doctor assessed He indicated. He shared that his body did the outside, but inside I was and their help. I want to be
me, his eyes widened after not react badly to the first actually becoming miser- inspiration for others. With
I told him I had been expe- Giel explained that at the two rounds of chemo. He able,” he remarked. a strong mindset, you can
riencing back pain for sev- same time, the doctor did however start to feel face any obstacle that
eral months now,” he said After he finished chemo, comes your way.”
told him to get ready to sick during the third cycle. Giel shared that he thought
go stay in the hospital, as He noticed his hair falling
He continued by saying they would be operating
that his general practitio- the next day to remove the
ner sent him to Dr. Moreta tumor. After his operation,
and asked him to do some Giel spent Christmas with
blood work and make a CT his family at home and had
scan of his back. However, to undergo chemotherapy
Giel, young and rebellious, treatment the next week.
did not follow through with
all his orders.
Every chemo cycle took
21 days, and Giel had to
“I still remember the date, undergo 4 in total. He in-
13 or 16 of December I dicated that for 5 days
was in class and Dr. Moreta straight, he had chemo.
called to ask where I was. During those 5 days, he
He told me to go to the had to stay in the hospital
hospital and take some and receive three bags of
pictures and bring them chemo. Fridays were al-
to him. That’s when I knew ways the hardest
that something was off,” he
remarked
“I always look for the good
in bad situations, and I
After taking his pictures, he found out that on chemo
went by the doctor’s of- day they give you what-
fice and that is where he ever you want to eat, so
received the news that he