Last year, coincidence struck in a horrific way for Suzanne (35) and Marijke (33) Bakermans from Geldrop: within a few months, both sisters were told they had cancer. A year later, the sisters want to help others with the disease. On Sunday they will therefore run five kilometers together during the marathon in Eindhoven to raise money for the Dutch Cancer Society.
Last year in June, Suzanne was told out of the blue that she had cancer. There was a tumor just below her cervix that was caused by HPV, a virus that can cause cancer.
A wave of misery followed. “When Suzanne received that diagnosis, we were all in shock. My parents especially of course. Fortunately, we quickly recovered. The treatments then went well,” says younger sister Marijke.
“This can not be?”
But the family was not spared the misery. Four months after Suzanne’s diagnosis, the terrible disease also struck Marijke herself. Breast cancer. “Then I thought: this can’t be possible, right? Both in the same year. Who comes up with that?”, says Marijke.
The good news? The cancer is currently gone from the sisters. The treatments against the tumors worked for both Suzanne and Marijke. That fight took a lot of energy. The sisters have helped each other a lot in their fight against cancer, Suzanne says.
“We are both ‘glass half full people’. That helped enormously. We could go to each other. I think we have also become more grateful for life at the same time. Cancer makes you realize how fragile life is. If you experience that, it is also a gift in some way. You really take that experience with you.”
“This is such a bizarre story.”
Positive as they are, the sisters also wanted to give their illness a ‘healthy’ twist, says Marijke. “We had the idea: this is such a bizarre story, we have to do something beautiful with it. Then the idea came to participate in the Eindhoven marathon to raise money for the Dutch Cancer Society.”
The goal on the marathon day just had to be achievable for Marijke. She is still recovering from her treatment journey. “After my chemotherapy, we therefore opted for the five-kilometer distance,” says Marijke. “The goal is of course to raise as much money as possible for the Dutch Cancer Society.”
Because that is what the sisters think is the most important of all, Suzanne explains. “We were able to heal through the research that had previously been done on cancer. That money for research is desperately needed. That is why we are now putting our shoulders to the wheel.”
“We’re looking forward to that beer!”
Suzanne and Marijke have together raised almost 2,500 euros. Now they just have to complete those five kilometers successfully on Sunday. A goal to look forward to. “And Sunday is of course also a great time to toast what we have overcome,” Suzanne laughs. “We are looking forward to a beer!”
You can on this one two pages donate to the sisters. Everything surrounding the Eindhoven marathon can be followed on Sunday in a live blog and a livestream on the Omroep Brabant website and app.
READ ALSO: Thomas has Down syndrome but runs the 10 kilometers like a rocket