In 2017 at the age of 26, Ilze was diagnosed with stage 3 Ovarian Cancer and had since then been fighting and giving her all. Her father was diagnosed with breast cancer simultaneously, and she received her first round of chemotherapy and radiation, alongside her dad, in 2017 and 2018. Her father sadly passed away, but she was fortunate to be in remission for more than a year. Unfortunately, her cancer returned in 2019, and her second round of chemotherapy and radiation started, which she had to go through during the 2020 Covid period, which was a challenging experience.

Not long after her second round of treatment and a short period of remission, she experienced a relapse, and her cancer returned for the third time in 2021. Jump forward a few months to 2022, and at the age of 31, she is still receiving a fourth round of chemotherapy and, in total, have received more than 40 sessions. She was also recently diagnosed with a somatic BRCA mutation.

After 5 years of chemotherapy and radiation, her treatment options have started running out, and her body and mind are tired. The doctors are extremely worried about her future as this is a reoccurring cancer, and should she continue with chemotherapy, some parts of her body will start to fail. Luckily with new medical development, a drug is available called Lynparza for the treatment of relapsed advanced ovarian cancer with the BRCA mutation. Her doctor insists that she urgently start with this treatment as this is her last hope of extending her life, but sadly most medical aids in South Africa do not cover this new drug.