Meet Kamtambo, a 35-year old mother of four children from Malawi. To provide for her large family, Kamtambo farms her land to produce food to put on the table.
After participating in a cancer screening program put on by our medical partner, World Altering Medicine (WAM), Kamtambo was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Due to her current financial situation, in addition to the unavailability of both radiotherapy and chemotherapy in Malawi, Kamtambo is at risk of her cancer spreading to other parts of her body. WAM reports that “without intervention, a worsening in her condition will take place.”
Most commonly caused by human papilloma virus (HPV), cervical cancer is the result of cervical cells abnormally changing over time to become malignant. While these cancerous cells start out very small and typically and do not lead to obvious symptoms in the beginning phases of the disease, they can grow to be much larger in the subsequent stages without intervention. As they grow into cases of advanced cancer, these cancerous cells become more likely to spread to other parts of the body which can lead to serious and potentially fatal health complications.
$613 will allow Kamtambo to receive the life-saving treatment that she needs. “The best option to manage her cancer is surgical intervention,” says WAM. A total abdominal hysterectomy will remove Kamtambo’s uterus and cervix to stop the cancerous growths and prevent them from spreading elsewhere in her body. The cost of treatment includes a pre-operative consultation, surgery, three days of hospitalized care, and a follow-up examination to ensure that Kamtambo receives a safe procedure and recovery.
WAM conveys their enthusiasm for the procedure, stating that “with the proposed surgery this condition can be cured for life.”
Kamtambo is hopeful for what lies ahead and shares that she is “very eager to have the surgery done.”