When you chat to Joburg teenager Daniel Rock, 19, you would never guess that he has been to hell and back. A few times.
He’s funny, witty, loves animals, computers, playing video games, reading about the stock market, and contemplating his future. Sounds like many 19-year-olds.
However Daniel’s story is different.
In spite of beating cancer three times and staring death in the face, Daniel recently completed matric, and he did so with a bachelor’s pass against all odds. Last year, he experienced the first year uninterrupted by hospital visits and chemotherapy since he was diagnosed 11 years ago.
“We’re over the moon,” said his mother, Michelle, who said her son has made the family so proud.
“There was a time when we were told that he wouldn’t make it. Daniel pushed through the worst of times imaginable, and continues to surprise us with his strength and resilience,” she said.
At the age of eight he had a seizure on the way home from a December holiday. Followed by headaches and discomfort, it was the start of a medical journey through hell as doctors diagnosed him with a brain tumour. The once happy-go-lucky little boy who loved playing with his twin brother, Michael, and big sister, Nicole, had no idea what lay before him. News of his condition shattered his family’s once perfect world and sent shock waves through the close-knit community where he lived, touching hearts far and wide as it spread through the community and abroad.
He first had brain surgery in 2011. The community closely followed his progress but sadly, his cancer returned two years later, plunging the family into a second wave of grief with a new diagnosis of medulloblastoma – a fast growing cancerous brain tumour that starts in the cerebellum, the lower back part of the brain. This required specialised chemotherapy treatment available overseas.
It resulted in the family being split between South Africa and New York City, as Daniel received intensive treatment at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He was treated there for a year, and spent 20 weeks in intensive care. The treatment was so intense, he faced numerous health complications and debilitating side effects. It was a surreal world of endlessly beeping machines, multiple organ failure, feeding tubes, MRIs, scans, stem-cell transplants, blood transfusions, and continuous fear and uncertainty.
“In spite of this, he never complained and was always positive,” said Michelle.
He went to New York twice for life-saving treatment.
To boost his moral during his second visit, a close family friend arranged for Daniel’s role model, radio presenter Darren “Whackhead” Simpson who was then at 94.7 Highveld Stereo, to visit him at his hospital bed in the United States. A moving radio interview was broadcast, capturing the hearts of thousands of listeners as the two struck up a conversation. Simpson and the radio station helped to arrange flights and accommodation for Daniel’s father and siblings to travel to New York to visit him and his mother after not having seen each other for eight months.
Daniel’s cancer returned for the third time in 2018, followed by more invasive procedures and medical trials.
He came back to South Africa in 2018, and a year later, the world faced the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to his family, Daniel missed three years of school and many friendship-building opportunities.
However, he put his mind to his studies last year, and came out tops.
Battle scarred but brave and determined, Daniel relishes his time at home, cancer-free, surrounded by his family and pets.
“I feel great, I’ve come through a dark tunnel, and I feel good now,” Daniel told the SA Jewish Report.
He describes the past few years as “blurry”, in which he had bouts of homesickness and loneliness but he said, “I’m so thankful to my family. I cannot imagine what they were going through. In many ways, it was harder for them.”
“I don’t think I would have got through it all without the love and support of my community and all the different medical staff and patients who were my family away from home. I’m particularly grateful to the Chai Lifeline counsellors, who volunteered hours of time to keep me company and entertained,” he said.
Daniel now volunteers at the SPCA, combining his love for animals and his wish to give back in his way to the countless people who helped him and his family along his journey.
His twin brother, Michael, said, “When I was 11 years old, my understanding about what was going on in my brother’s life was vague. All I knew is that Dan had lost his hair, and his body had become fragile. My twin brother, who I used to go everywhere with, became bedbound and left me to face the world alone as we entered the hardest chapter of our lives. Never did I think we would be where we are today. I’m so proud of Dan.”
His sister, Nicole, said she has learnt so much from her brother, describing him as one of the strongest and bravest people she knows.
“Being the oldest sibling, I felt a lot of pressure to try keep everyone’s spirits up and my brothers positive. My family was split across two continents, trying to stay as one unit. Dan never complained, and he was actually the one holding us all together. Through his bravery, he has shown us what true strength is,” she said.
She recalls one time when things were really bad.
“I was 14, on Bnei Akiva summer camp while my family was in New York with Dan. I had no idea what they were going through, but I was pulled out of camp 10 days in and was confused and scared. I flew alone to New York City, not knowing what had transpired. When I got there, I found Daniel on a ventilator in intensive care, and I thought we were there to say goodbye. That was nine years ago. Growing up, Dan spent more than half of his life in and out of hospital. It was extremely difficult for all of us, and I had to grow up a lot quicker than most of my friends. We have all overcome so much as a family, and I’m so proud of Dan for achieving a matric bachelor’s pass and always remaining optimistic. I can’t wait to see Daniel take on the world.”
“My experience has strengthened me and taught me that anything is possible,” Daniel said. “I’m excited for the future.”
