By Cindy Ogana | Fundraising Manager
At 32 years of age, Lucy was diagnosed with cervical cancer in October 2015. Her plight began when she was pregnant with her second child and started bleeding heavily. Lucy thought it had something to do with her pregnancy and largerly ignored it and when necessary, managed the bleeding by wearing sanitary towels. She carried the pregnancy to term and expected that after delivery, the bleeding would stop.
Sadly not only did Lucy's bleeding not cease but she also lost her new born baby just three months after birth. A year later Lucy was pregnant again and this time her bleeding got worse. She felt constantly weak throughout her third pregnancy until the birth of the baby. Scared for her health, Lucy's husband decided to send her to a medical camp at Kenya's Narok town ( about 200 Kilometres from Kenya's capital city Nairobi). The medics at the camp advised Lucy to have a hysterectomy to stop the bleeding but advised her to first have further tests done. These tests revealed that Lucy had cervical cancer.
She would spend 5 months admitted at a Provincial General Hospital because her blood count was very low and she needed a transfusion. Once she had recovered, she begun chemotherapy, frightened by the fact that she did not have money for the consequent radiotherapy treatment. Lucy’s condition not only took a toll on her body but also on her family financially. The doctors advised Lucy to seek financial assistance from Faraja Cancer Support Trust, located in Nairobi.
Lucy and her husband saved enough busfare and made it to Nairobi where they consulted extensively with Faraja's Patient Support Manager, Phillip. After having her reports reviewed by an oncologist, Faraja happily paid for Lucy's radiotherapy treatment. She has since finished all 30 sessions of radiotherapy.
Lucy and her husband say that they have found a home away from home at Faraja having been through numerous hospitals and faced a lot of frustration. Lucy says she feels confident that her treatment went well and is excited to reunite with her young family.
Sadly, there are only two National Radiotherapy machines in Kenya which frequently break down. These machines, one of which is outdated, serves a population of 45 million Kenyans. With an annual mortality rate of 27,000 Kenyans, more support is needed to reduce the cancer burden in Kenya. On the 12th of November 2016, Faraja launched the Faraja Cancer Support Fund ( FCSF).
FCSF is a corpus of funds which, when invested, will provide a steady stream of income for Faraja and ensure at least 50 patients can receive life saving treatment every year, forever...patients like Lucy.
"I have faith in God that I will be healed. I have met other patients like meand I realise that I am not alone. With the support I have here atFaraja, I can see myself getting cured and going back to doing things for myself such as house chores and carrying my baby."
Learn more about our 6 year journey of giving hope, help and life click here
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By Cindy Ogana | Fundraising Manager- Faraja Cancer Support Trust
By Shaira Adamali | Faraja Founder
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