East London girl achieves dream of celebrating with victorious Boks

Ten-year-old Isabella Esterhuyse, who is bravely battling cancer, realised a lifelong dream on Saturday when she made a heartwarming entrance on the field alongside Springbok captain Siya Kolisi as she joined the team to celebrate. 

The East London girl, who wants to become a paediatric oncologist and help other children in her shoes one day, ticked a box on her wish list when she finally met the Springbok players at the match between SA and Argentina in Mbombela, Mpumalanga. 

Her parents approached the Reach For A Dream Foundation, a nonprofit organisation that makes dreams come true for children with life-threatening illnesses.

Isabella’s mom, Tara , said her daughter had always been fascinated by sport, and before she became ill she used to play rugby. 

She had always admired the likes of Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Cheslin Kolbe and Bongi Mbonambi. 

Isabella was diagnosed with a rare cancer of the soft tissue earlier in 2024.  

In April, Isabella had to be rushed to casualty from school with “unbearable” pain in her back.

“After being referred to a paediatric surgeon, they found she had a large cancerous tumour between her lung and kidney.

“Unfortunately, only 90% of the tumour could be removed as it had ruptured, which also caused a pleural effusion of the right lung  as well as the removal of part of her 11th rib.” 

Isabella has been undergoing chemotherapy, a journey that is emotionally and physically exhausting, Tara said. 

But despite the pain, seeing her daughter’s dream coming to life was a priceless moment for the family. 

“Our daughter has been battling stage 3 cancer with immense strength and courage. 

“The excitement in her eyes was indescribable as she finally saw the players she had admired for so long.

“The team welcomed her with open arms and showered her with kindness and encouragement.

“Watching her stand on that field was priceless,” Tara said.

She said the moment was a reminder of her daughter’s strength. 

“The joy it brought her was a beautiful reminder of her resilience. It was a moment of pure happiness amid a challenging journey.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we are so happy we were able to share this with her.

“We are so grateful to Reach for a Dream and all the other role players for making this possible.

“We are overwhelmed by the love and support shown to our daughter.

“We are so grateful to every single individual and organisation involved in making Isabella’s dream come true.” 

Isabella said the moment still felt surreal. 

“My favourite part was holding Siya’s hand on the field and when minister Gayton McKenzie let me hold the trophy and pass it to Siya. 

“I played club rugby before I got sick. I miss it and I can’t wait to get back on the field. 

“It still doesn’t feel real that Reach For A Dream actually made my dream come true.

“I was happy that my family could share my dream with me.

“Even though I still have a long few months of chemotherapy ahead of me, I am feeling positive.” 

Lwanele Mpeta, the Reach For a Dream regional branch manager in the Eastern Cape, said the moment was heartwarming. 

“We help any child that comes on our radar.

“What SA got to witness was one of the initiatives we do all the time but this happened to be the whole of SA’s dream. 

“Our objective is to inspire hope to any child going through life-threatening illness to show them that tomorrow is worth fighting for.”

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