I'M SO GRATEFUL

Breast cancer hasn't stood in the way of this mom of two of running an NPO and caring for 25 foster children

- NOKUTHULA ZWANE-EJIKE

SHE'S up at 4am to get 27 kids ready for the day, putting breakfast on the table, tying shoelaces, making lunches and dropping everyone off at different schools.

Having a house this full would be a tough task for anybody - but when you hear what Marion Pretorius Peake from East London has been through, coping with all this is nothing short of remarkable.

A rare form of breast cancer saw her needing a double mastectomy and for a while the bottom fell out of her world. But the 37-year-old mom was determined to make a difference to the lives of others and she's become an inspiration to her community.

Marion runs the NPO Helping Those in Need and fosters 25 kids in her home, raising them alongside her two daughters. She also collects and distributes clothes and food parcels and runs soup kitchens for vulnerable families.

On top of it all, she's a role model to cancer survivors. Marion entered the Mrs South Africa pageant last year and helped redefine beauty standards by becoming the first contestant without breasts.

She made it to the semi-finals of the contest and is now preparing for the finals of the Mzansi Pageants Mrs Eastern Cape competition in October, which provides a platform for women to raise awareness of causes they feel passionate about.

She's proud of what she's achieved, Marion says. "Life is far too short to limit yourself based on the world's standards. When life gives you lemons, don't just make lemonade - take it up a notch and make lemon meringue.

IT STARTED with a bump the size of a golf ball in her breast in May 2018 but Marion, who had a toddler under two, brushed it off as milk ducts and didn't think much about it.

When the lump hadn't gone away a month later, she sought medical attention and was stunned when doctors told her she had cancer.