YOU'RE A HERO!

| Janica’s painted masks make radiation much less daunting _ for her young cancer patients

- ALULUTHO GUZANA , NADINE RAMONGANE

THE little boy stretched out as the plastic mask was carefully moulded to the shape of his face and chest before being fixed to the bed. His heart began to pound and his eyes widened with fear as he was enveloped in the maw of the metal machine.

It's a heartbreaking scene and it's one that confronted radiotherapist Janica Smit (27) every day as she treated young cancer patients.

The thermoplastic mesh mask keeps patients immobilised while radiation targets areas in the head or neck where tumours are located.

The process is scary enough for adults - but when you're a little kid it's positively terrifying.

"It breaks my heart to see the fear in their eyes," Janica says. "The radiation process isn't always easy and I wanted to do everything in my power to make the process a little easier for my patients."

Which is why Janica, who's based at the oncology unit at Life Eugene Marais Hospital in Pretoria, decided to do something to make the ordeal a little easier for her young patients.

She did some research and discovered that doctors in hospitals overseas were painting radiation masks for kids, which helped distract them and introduce an element of fun.

"I thought, "Why don't we bring this to South Africa?""

Janica wrote a proposal to her manager and medical team, and it was given the green light.