27-06-2025
Help Jaco beat cancer
Jaco Pretorius (48), a handyman, churchgoer and family man from Freeway Park, is urgently in need of the community's assistance. Diagnosed with an aggressive form of skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, he is in a race against time to get the life-saving surgery that could restore his health.
With limited access to public healthcare and rapidly worsening symptoms, Jaco's only hope now lies in the generosity of others. His family is calling on the community to support Jaco's BackaBuddy campaign to help fund the medical treatment he so desperately needs.
A devoted family man's life changed
When he is not fixing things, Jaco is actively involved in his church, Woord en Lewe Kerk in Boksburg. He loves spending time with his family, especially his 96-year-old grandfather, whom he regularly takes out for ice cream and walks.
But in late 2024, everything changed when what Jaco initially thought was a dental abscess turned out to be something far more serious. Despite repeated treatments, his condition worsened and he sought a second opinion. After queuing at Johannesburg General Hospital from 03:00 in the morning, a specialist diagnosed him with squamous cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer affecting his jaw.
The struggle for surgery
Due to a severe backlog at Johannesburg General Hospital, where only one operating theatre handles this type of surgery, Jaco faces a six- to eight-month wait for his operation. Meanwhile, his condition is deteriorating rapidly. He can no longer eat solid food and survives on a liquid diet via a PEG feeding tube. The pain is severe and he requires daily morphine and wound care through Hospice East Rand.
Unable to work, Jaco is financially dependent on his family and donations to make ends meet.
A ray of hope but more help is needed
Thanks to kind donations, Jaco was recently admitted to Cintocare, where he received treatment for an infection and had a PEG feeding tube inserted. He spent five and a half days in hospital, and while this was a critical first step, the most urgent and expensive part—his reconstructive cancer surgery—is still ahead.
To proceed, support is needed to help cover the costs outlined in a specialist medical quote facilitated by the Cancer Heroes Foundation.
His sister-in-law, Taryn Pretorius, describes this as one of the most exhausting and emotional experiences of her life.
'Watching someone you love suffer while feeling helpless is heart-breaking. Learning how to manage Jaco's feeding tube has been deeply emotional. We are so grateful for every person who has donated or reached out—we couldn't have come this far without you,' she said.
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