Table Of ContentThis report is dedicated to the memory of a beloved and talented daughter:
Melissa Bekker
28 May 1986 – 9 Sept 2012
“The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised.” Job 1: 21
Melissa Bekker
In January 2010 I started with a full time study of cancer. A year and three months later the study
became personal when Melissa, my daughter, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 24.
Melissa was my and Wilna's third child. What made her exceptional was that she was nearly 20
years younger then her eldest sister and nearly 16 years the junior of her second sister. At birth the
doctors observed that muscles at the one side of her mouth were underdeveloped. Her mouth turned
slightly sideways when she smiled or cried. In due course it was no longer visible. There were no
other abnormalities but the doctors were worried about Wilm's tumor (kidney tumour), but regular
tests showed no problems. She was a healthy child and young person until 2010.
It was fun to see the mother, baby and sisters in a shopping centre. The staff could not resist asking
who is the mother, to the delight or embarrassment of her two sisters - Mariken still a scholar and
Maryke a college student.
Melissa's first 'concert' was when she was only 3 and a half years old. She rehearsed for weeks in
order to sing for her grannies and other family members on Christmas eve. When she started
singing all the looking eyes unnerved her, causing her to start swinging one leg and the suppressed
laughs just let her swing the leg higher but she, nevertheless, completed her song.
Melissa was a happy child. We still have her sketch of our family, drawn when she was six – she is
nearly the same height as her mother! At school she was hard working and artistic and excelled in
pottery, piano, violin and singing. For four years she was a member of the Tygerberg Children's
Choir, appeared on TV and toured Switzerland and Canada on two occasions. The choir performed
for president Nelson Mandela on more than one occasion. Melissa was an exchange student in
Germany and completed school with highest honours.
She went to Potchefstroom (Northwest University) as a student in communication and tourism. She
joined the Alabama Student Company and over weekends and holidays performed in revues in
many cities and towns. Melissa could only attend to academic matters during the first four days of
the week as she had to board a bus on Fridays for concert commitments during weekends. She
danced, sang and played the violin. Quite often she returned to her room late on Sunday nights. For
three years she was a member of the company and when she left she received the chairman's
honorary award.
After graduation she teached at a school for a short time and worked for a travel agent and during
this time she visited Zanzibar (East Africa). Her third job was at an embassy in Pretoria. Here she
bloomed and tended efficiently to the numerous tasks delegated to her by the ambassador (even
problems with his swimming pool!).
The first symptoms of her sickness appeared after she started working at the embassy. She got pains
in her abdomen and it was diagnosed as spastic colon (a problem with ovarian cancer is that it is
often diagnosed at a late stage). Blood tests were negative and a non-malignant tumour was
suspected. She was unwilling to undergo a genealogical examination as she was a virgin. In March
2011 an operation revealed a very aggressive cancer and most of the cancer was removed together
with her reproductive organs. The oncologist suggested a very drastic chemo treatment over a three
week period. This would result in a weak patient requiring 24 hour care. She and her boyfriend,
Marnits Maree, (they never married but were really close) decided against this treatment and went
to see a doctor, who according to an acquaintance, was a brilliant cancer doctor. He started with
IPT (Insulin Potentation Therapy – chemo in very small doses), supplements and a diet. The doctor
regarded the quality of food as of utmost importance – everything has to be organic but animal
products may be taken. The suggested drastic chemo would probably have been Melissa's end – she
was very slender - and IPT extended her life.
My provisional cancer report was sent to her (we lived 1600 kilometres from each other) but she
was not impressed (it was incomplete) and continued with the doctor's treatment (I respected their
right to take their own decisions). In April 2012 I gave Melissa a more complete report – she was
not interested – quite sick already and carried on with the doctor's treatment.
With her slender body it was difficult to get hold of suitable clothes for receptions at the embassy.
There were a special relationship between Melissa and the ambassador. They both regarded each
other with high respect and he referred to her as “my sister”. In spite of the fact that she was
frequently absent from work (often she was only at the office for two days per week) as she had to
travel far to see the doctor every week, the embassy kept her on their payroll, but early in 2012 she
had to quit as a further operation was necessary, as there was a blockage in her intestines. She was
also compelled to move house to be near the doctor. (At her cottage she made herself comfortable
with a kitten and a budgie. She was never alone as Maryke or her parents were always there to keep
her company and to assist her). The embassy kept contact and shortly before her death the
ambassador with his wife and three children paid Melissa a last visit.
Her pain was controlled with coffee enemas and small wheat bags heated in the microwave oven.
Except for normal pain medication she only took morphine during the last few days (a total of six
stickers).
As a small girl she dearly loved her grannies, especially granny Ria. About a month before her
death she said she saw her (deceased) granny and that she can touch and smell her. Her hearing
became very acute and she could hear things happening in other rooms. She boasted that she heard
everything mother and father talked about and that she is aware of the chocolate we wanted to share
without her knowing! At a very late stage Melissa cut out all animal products. The treatment,
discussed in chapter 15, represents research done after her demise.
A mere eight days before her death a friend took her to a revue of the Alabama Student Company
and for the first time she was able to see the performance as a spectator. We were worried but the
evening was a success. She weakened further every day after that night but was not hospitalised.
The doctor or two of his staff members came to her house, up to three times a night!
Could things have turned out differently? Firstly, I was ignorant about aspects of cancer. Another
problem (we only realized it afterwards) was that Melissa wanted to be in control of her sickness
('certainties' like her work were no longer there). If there was more openness between everyone,
research and treatment could possibly have progressed faster.
In Melissa's 26 years on earth she lived a full life, way more than the average person. She so much
wanted to regain her health and marry Marnits, but things turned out otherwise. On Sunday, 9
September 2012, just after sunrise she left us for a new life (her faith was an inherent part of her
life). She was restful. Monday, the ambassador and three of his staff members came to pay their last
respects. I will never forget the personnel officer, an Egyptian christian, with his calm and deep
conviction that there is life after death.
Thank you Melissa for so many wonderful memories.
George Bekker
Natural Treatment of Cancer
Background information and therapies
George Bekker
1 © George Bekker
Copyright by George D Bekker, 2013
Impression 1.3
Cover pages drawn by Anita Visser (my grandchild)
This e book is freely available to everyone as the author feels strongly that no one should be
excluded from the use of this report as a result of financial considerations.
The report represents years of hard work and if you wish to make a small donation the author
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