‘We had to take out loans’: Cupcake campaign helps families reach cancer treatment

On 26 September, South Africans bake cupcakes to help families facing financial barriers to cancer treatment for their children. Dr Able Nxobile Mdhluli, diagnosed at 13 with leukaemia, faced repeated hospital visits from her Mpumalanga hometown to Gauteng. At 25, now a qualified doctor in Johannesburg, Mdhluli remembers the significant impact these trips had on her family.

Each trip cost about R1,800, not including additional expenses like food, accommodation, and other necessities. Dr Tanya Krakowitzer, a paediatric oncologist, explained that pediatric oncology services are scarce in South Africa, with many treatment units located in major cities. Children in rural areas often travel long distances for treatment, adding to the family's financial burden.

The nonprofit Cupcakes of Hope, founded by Sandy Cipriano, has become a crucial lifeline for these families. Since 2020, the organization has helped over 140 young cancer patients, with the number of requests for financial assistance nearly quadrupling. In 2025, Cupcakes of Hope granted 1987 requests, delivered 3,766 care bags, and celebrated 80 birthdays.

National Cupcake Day, the organization's biggest fundraising and awareness campaign, raised over R2 million last year, with over 2,400 volunteers participating across South Africa.