Meet Elizabeth, a 44-year-old woman who works as a caretaker of rental homes in Kenya. She previously worked as a tailor before starting her new career.
Last summer, Elizabeth heard a radio program educating listeners about breast self-exams. She examined herself and discovered a lump in her left breast. She went to the hospital for further assessment, but she was unable to pay for the recommended mammogram.
Elizabeth returned to the hospital in the spring of this year for a biopsy of the lump in her breast, and the results confirmed a diagnosis of breast cancer. Doctors recommended that she undergo a mastectomy, but she was unable to pay for the surgery. A friend referred her to AIC Kijabe Hospital, and the hospital surgeon also recommended a mastectomy as the best course of treatment.
Elizabeth is separated from her husband, and her elderly mother and sisters are unable to provide any financial help for her medical care. For $740, Elizabeth will undergo a mastectomy to remove her left breast. Funding also covers the costs of six days of hospital care, pain medicine, and blood tests.
Elizabeth looks forward to a successful surgery. “I want to be treated to have an extended, healthy life and be able to join in the fight for cancer awareness,” she shares.