The story of a caner patient.

Meet Nicklas.

He was diagnosed with colon cancer last year, and is currently on his 9th out of 12 treatment of chemo. Nicklas loves the Lord and has not blamed God for his diagnosis. To see how strong this one man is, it really is encouraging. Back home Nicklas teaches kids in grades 1-8 about math and science. All of his students run to him when he returns home from treatment. Nicklas will spend about 4 days in the hospital getting his treatment because he lives so far away. If he lived in Nairobi he would come in as an outpatient. While talking with him Nicklas asked how cancer is looked at in America, and how we seek treatment, and how we all pay for it. He also asked me about my experiences in Kenya, and then asked me questions about the medications he was on, and the side effects he is experiencing. Nicklas is an amazing man. And he is just one man.

So many people come and seek treatment at the hospital for their cancer. They are diagnosed in stage 1 or 2, but by the time they can afford treatment, their cancer has progressed to stage 4. By then their cancers are almost untreatable. It breaks my heart knowing that so many people have the intention of being cured, but this country is in such a lack of resources. Kenyatta Hospital is one of 3 cancer facilities in the whole country. It is the only public hospital, and with that they run out of supplies often. When the hospital does not have medications in house, patients have to go find a pharmacist outside the hospital, purchase the medication, and then bring it back for administration. Kenya also only has 11 oncologist doctors.

Cancer is on the rise in this country due to all the pollution and other environmental factors. People are usually do not even try to seek treatment, because many believe that cancer is untreatable. The government is not willing to open more clinics or treatment centers because they believe that treating cancer is not as important as other issues.

I learned so much while on this unit, and I hope you all cherish the story of Nicklas, I know that he would have loved to share it with you.

Giving chemo to patients