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local Friday 17 February 2023

Jerwin Giel 8 years after cancer diagnosis:

“I want to be an inspiration for others”

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