{
  "id": 6716253,
  "title": "‘We had to take out loans’: Cupcake campaign helps families reach cancer treatment",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/we-had-to-take-out-loans-cupcake-campaign-helps-families-reach-cancer",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-11T06:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/capetimes/news/2026-09-11-we-had-to-take-out-loans-cupcake-campaign-helps-families-reach-cancer-treatment/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "When South Africans bake for National Cupcake Day on Saturday, 26 September 2026, funds will help families meet transport, food and accommodation costs linked to children’s cancer treatment.",
  "key_points": [
    "South African nonprofit Cupcakes of Hope aids families facing cancer treatment costs.",
    "Dr Able Mdhluli, diagnosed at 13, highlights financial barriers to treatment.",
    "National Cupcake Day 2025 raised R2 million for the cause."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Cupcakes of Hope campaign eases financial burdens on families of children with cancer, bridging gaps in accessing treatment and care in areas with scarce pediatric oncology services.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "IOL",
        "title": "‘We had to take out loans’: Cupcake campaign helps families reach cancer treatment",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/we-had-to-take-out-loans-cupcake-campaign-helps-families-reach-cancer-6760492",
        "published": "2026-09-11T12:30:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}