Chronicle Editor
Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
WHEN Mrs Loretta Williams of Bulawayo was diagnosed with leukaemia 21 years ago, doctors told her she had only three to five years to live.
Defying the odds, Mrs Williams is still alive two decades later after beating the cancer that was expected to take her life.
Mrs Williams has now joined forces with her community in Barham Green suburb, Bulawayo and the local Combined Community Development Fund (CCDF) to raise money for leukaemia patients.
Leukaemia, a cancer of blood-forming tissues such as bone marrow, has several types, including acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, acute myeloid leukaemia and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Treatment varies but may involve chemotherapy, radiation and sometimes stem-cell transplants, especially for aggressive forms of the disease.
“Around 2002, I was diagnosed with leukaemia and doctors gave me less than five years to live. I was devastated,” said Mrs Williams, recalling her initial diagnosis.
“My son, who was 21 at the time, introduced his girlfriend to the family and said he wanted to marry and have children before I died. It was a very difficult time.”
Despite the challenges, Mrs Williams survived. She attributes her survival to early diagnosis and access to life-saving treatment.
Mrs Williams said she is aware that many leukaemia patients cannot afford the expensive medication, which can cost as much as US$3 000 per month.
“It’s however, important for all those suspecting to be suffering from leukaemia to get tested so that treatment can start when the disease is in its early stages,” said Mrs Williams .
She said in order to assist patients that cannot afford the medication, she has enlisted the help of Max Foundation, a UK-based non-governmental organisation that has, for the past 26 years, supplied cancer medication to patients to low and middle-income countries.
Mr Barry Weber, one of the organisers of the fundraising campaign, said the initiative began when women from Cotton Candy in Barham Green teamed up with Mrs Williams. The effort, he said, has gained significant support.
“We are not just raising funds but we are also creating awareness about leukaemia. We feel many people are not getting tested early and by the time they are diagnosed, the disease is already advanced,” said Mr Weber.
Online Reporter