Help Steve Hamilton beat cancer: 'I'm a recovering drug addict, alcoholic and I'm fighting cancer'

CapeTalk's Clarence Ford speaks to Steve Hamilton.

Listen below:

Earlier this year, Ford spoke with Steve Hamilton, author of “I WANT MY LIFE BACK”, a powerful memoir detailing his decades-long battle with drug addiction and his journey to recovery.

RELATED: 'My life’s mission is to die clean and sober’ - Steve Hamilton, recovering addict

For over 30 years, Hamilton has been a beacon of hope in communities across South Africa, Namibia, and Eswatini, dedicating his life to helping others overcome addiction. As a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, he’s inspired countless people through school talks, conferences, and business events.

Now, Hamilton is facing the greatest challenge of his life, a diagnosis of aggressive throat cancer. He requires six weeks of intensive, daily radiation and chemotherapy.

What began as a persistentearache that wouldn’t respond to antibiotics developed into severe throat pain. A biopsy and CT scan revealed the devastating news: three tumors, on his palate, tongue, and throat. From that moment, everything changed.

Hamilton was forced to cancel all his speaking engagements for the rest of the year, his primary source of income. Though deeply thankful for the medical care he’s receiving and the possibility of recovery, he is grappling with many uncovered expenses. These include vital nutritional support, physiotherapy, speech therapy, supplements, stress management, and basic living costs.

His focus now, in his own words, is simple but urgent: “to beat cancer and stay alive.”

"I'm a recovering drug addict, alcoholic and I'm fighting cancer... I'm not in recovery trying to recover from cancer... I find it amazing that when we last chatted, I had no clue what was around the corner."

- Steve Hamilton

"You hear the stories about people with cancer but you don't live it and when you do... it's a nightmare. By the grace of God I don't die from cancer but if I do, I'll die with my family holding my hand."

- Steve Hamilton

Hamilton faces many challenges ahead which he'll have to face alone, however, the public can help Hamilton settle his medical bills using a BackaBuddy campaign.

He is raising funds for:

• Nutritional supplements and medical needs not covered by treatment
• Physiotherapy and speech therapy to restore his ability to speak and eat
• Basic living costs during his time of no income
• Costs for stress and trauma management.

Our goal is to raise R250,000 covering approximately six months of care and recovery.

Hamilton also dreams of completing his second book “Colours of the Wind” and getting back on stage to share his story of hope and resilience.

Please consider supporting Hamilton in any way you can, financially and by sharing this campaign.

Every prayer, every donation and every share brings us one step closer to Hamilton's recovery.

For now, he dreams of things he still wishes to achieve once he beats cancer.

"I'm going to beat cancer...and when I do, I'm going to do 100 shows in 100 days... and I also want to do that Spain walk. I'm writing a book again called, 'Colours of the Wind' and I'm going to write it on that journey."

- Steve Hamilton

Scroll up to the audio player to hear more.