Don’t let my terminal diagnosis stop one last trip home

Zizi Britten Zondani is organizing this fundraiser.

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Hi, I’m Zizi, a 32 year old wife, fur mum and terminally ill cancer patient.

Before I die, I really want to get to see my home country South Africa, and the vast majority of my family, one last time.

I want to spend time with my nephew, sister and cousins I spent my childhood with.

Until the last few days I thought I would be able to fund the whole trip by taking out my private pension that I’ve built up over the years working. Then I looked to buy my travel insurance. Travel insurance companies charge prohibitively high amounts to those with disabilities and life limiting conditions. It’ll cost me £5,500 to be insured for a two week trip. The travel insurance quote for my healthy partner: £32.82.

It means people like me, and plenty others, aren’t able to visit home one last time; visit loved ones overseas; go on that bucket list trip they’ve always dreamed of; or just have a holiday and some respite while dying from cancer.

I have set up this GoFundMe to raise funds for the travel insurance of the trip. No amount donated is too small and will be greatly appreciated.

My story:

In 2021 at 28 years old I was diagnosed with a rare form of sarcoma cancer. At the time I had 5 months of chemotherapy and 6 weeks of radiation. Doctors let me know my condition was incurable and that at some point I would need more treatment. The cancer remained stable in my pelvis where it started.

In October 2024, I decided to join Sarcoma UK’s Challenge to swim 15km to raise funds for sarcoma research. I fell ill with a chest infection during the challenge, which I first thought was from the cold water swimming I was doing.

When the chest infection got worse, and I became breathless I followed my cancer nurse’s advice to visit A&E for a CT scan of my lungs. I attended on a busy night and spent 24 hours in A&E before being told the cancer had spread to my lungs.

In November 2024 I began chemotherapy. Unfortunately that particular chemo didn't stop the cancer in my left lung developing into a fast growing tumour. I urgently had to begin a new chemotherapy regime, one which keeps me in hospital for several days every 3 weeks. Soon I hope to have another course of radiation.

At the beginning of this year I was given a terminal diagnosis of 12 months to live. I hope the current treatment I am on gives me more time, but my main priority is living life as best as I can and fulfilling my death wishes. I was born in South Africa and moved to England at 12 years old. In my heart I have two homes, where I spent my childhood and England where I married, made my home, and with my wife take care of our black cat (Little Pudding) and Border Terrier (Betty).

I have spent a lot of time researching travel insurance options for a last trip to South Africa. When planning this trip I did not expect to encounter the difficulties I have with getting insurance. I have tried 3 specialist cancer travel insurance providers - two have refused to cover me for the trip and one has given me a quote of £5,500. I have also approached a broker who has found a provider willing to cover my trip for £6,000. The high costs of the insurance is due to my disease being rare, my terminal diagnosis, and travelling to a far destination.