Four-year-old Shanaya Govender's favourite doll, Desi, has a lot in common with her. Like her owner, the bald doll has a black dot in the centre of her forehead and a port for a central line, just like the little girl.
And the doll has cancer, just like Shanaya.
Shanaya, from Johannesburg, is one of nine South African children who share their cancer journeys with a Desi Strong Doll, created in honour of a six-year-old American girl named Desirae Ava Grace Cechin, who died of neuroblastoma in 2016.
The gender-neutral doll featuring a port for chemotherapy has been distributed to 588 kids globally by the Desi Strong Foundation, based in California in the US.
As SA observes Childhood Cancer Awareness month, six more dolls arrived in the country on Wednesday for nonprofit organisation Cupcakes of Hope to distribute to children with cancer.
Shanaya's mother, Lee-Ann Govender, said that when the doll arrived in October, her daughter - who calls herself Shanaya the First, after Disney princess Sofia the First - could not understand why someone would send her a doll that was wearing jeans and a T-shirt and not a "princess dress".
"Then, when I took off the doll's beanie and lifted her T-shirt, Shanaya was completely overwhelmed with excitement. I recall three sentences one after the other: 'Mommy, she looks just like me!' 'Mommy, she even has a port!' 'Thank you so much, I love her.'"
Shanaya, who turns five in November, was diagnosed with a rare cancer, stage four Ewing sarcoma with metastasis in both lungs.
Her left arm was amputated in March.
"Shanaya initially took Desi to hospital all the time, but didn't like everyone wanting to see and touch Desi, so after her amputation, Desi stays at home.
"She dresses Desi and keeps her safe. She says that Desi will pick up the bad germs if she goes back to hospital and she doesn't want Desi to lose her left arm like she did," Govender said.
Desi helped Shanaya emotionally as "most little girls only have dolls with beautiful long hair".
Govender said: "Shanaya's hair started falling out within a week of starting chemo and she didn't want to play with any of her dolls because of their hair. Desi helped Shanaya become her normal confident self even though she was bald."
Desi also helped Shanaya overcome her fear of the central line port and was useful when explaining to her eight-year-old brother, Vikeshlyn, how his sister's medication is administered.
Four-year-old Grace Philbin from Cape Town, who died of stage four cancer three weeks ago, was the first South African child to own a Desi doll.
Desi Strong Foundation's family advocate, Olivia Sale, who is based in California, told the Sunday Times that Grace's parents often shared photographs of their daughter and her doll. "It truly felt as if a little piece of Desi was in SA with her, being a beautiful companion but also sharing their family time and memories as well.
"We build a great bond and attachment to every single one of these children and their families who request a Desi Strong Doll, and love them through their journey."
"We do not charge our cancer warriors for a Desi Strong Doll. Donations come in to the Desi Strong Foundation to sponsor these beautiful dolls for sick children."
The Cancer Association of SA's national relationship manager for service delivery, Cara Noble, said it was wonderful to hear that there was finally something that children with cancer could relate to.
More than 1,000 new cases of childhood cancer were diagnosed in SA last year, said health department spokesperson Popo Maja...