Taking cancer awareness to a whole new level

By Ravena Gildharie
BIBI Saeedah Akhtar Hassan became a cancer advocate 12 years ago when she took a post as Treasurer of the Avon Community Help Fund. While she promoted awareness, screening and early detection, little did Saeedah know the scourge was raising its ugly head right in her home. Her mother, Bibi Ameena Hassan was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2008.

“I used to hear my daughter talking about cancer all the time, but when I got diagnosed, it came as the shock of my life. When the doctor told me, all I could do was cry and the doctor even cried with me,” related Ameena, a cancer survivor of nine years since surgery and chemotherapy. She stressed that she benefitted from the support of her family, doctors, nurses and other well-wishers, who rallied around and affirmed her strength to overcome the dreaded disease.

For Saeedah, the personal experience propelled an even stronger commitment to cancer awareness which led to the formation of the Guyana Cancer Foundation (GCF) in 2015. The GCF then became legally registered as a non-profit body in June 2016.
“We believe we can make a difference in saving lives, and while our goal may seem enormous, we want to eradicate breast and cervical cancer in Guyana by 2025, if not the whole or even a half of the country, at least in one community or area, where we can say women are free from cancer,” the advocate related during an exclusive interview with the Pepperpot Magazine. The success of this task, she believes, depends on partnership with the government, international funding institutions, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and all of society.

To date, the Cancer Foundation has received the support of almost 20 corporate entities including King’s Jewellery World, Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry, ScotiaBank, N&S Mattai, Kissoon’s Furniture Store, Skahur Trading, Toolsie Persaud, Digicel, MediCare Pharmacy, Survival and Deluxe Trading among others. More recently, Exxon Mobil, Guyana Unity Movement, the Guyana Medical Relief and the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company, have also gotten on board with the Foundation.

The support of these organisations has made it possible for over 700 women countrywide to get free screening for breast and cervical cancer. The Foundation also provides counselling to patients and their families, and guide them to treatment options and facilities. Outreaches with screening and support services were done in areas such as Georgetown, Berbice River, Charity, Bartica, Mahaicony, Moraikoba and Linden.

The Foundation also operates out of a permanent location at the St Joseph’s Mercy Hospital.
“Early detection is crucial and that is why we offer the mammogram, sonogram and pap-smear and we encourage women to make use of these free screenings. We even get referrals for screening from the GPHC,” Saeedah indicated.

AWARENESS CAN SAVE LIVES
In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness 2017, the Foundation and its partners, among which include its main sponsor, GTT, have organised a month-long schedule of activities

under the umbrella of ‘Pinktober’. The packed calendar of activities, include a tree-wrapping exercise at Camp Street on Monday October 2, observance of No Bra Day on October 13, a National Mammography Day/Wear It Pink Friday, on October 20, and a Breast Cancer Awareness Crusade Walk on October 21.

Events like these are aimed at promoting awareness and offering support for cancer patients and survivors like Ameena, who understands what each day of survival means after cancer.
She recalled the day when she went to bed and accidentally discovered a lump in her left breast which a subsequent biopsy confirmed was cancer.

On the day of surgery at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, Ameena turned up with her family and they prayed together before she was prepped for theatre.
“I already had on my gown and everything but I ran out of the theatre. I was so scared because I knew cancer was a luck and chance, it was 50/50. My family and my children came and hugged me and the nurses too, and they all coached me to go back.

Then, the doctor came and led me to the room,” Ameena related. After surgery and recovery, she did four sessions of chemotherapy through the Georgetown Public Hospital. It was a rough period, Ameena recalled. Her blood count was always low and she felt weak.
“They told me the chemo was going to make my hair fall out, but I didn’t expect it so. It was shine, shine,” Ameena highlighted. For six years, she remained on the cancer tablets and a recent test has proven that she is free from the disease.

“I cook, wash, clean and go about like normal. I’m not the best. Sometimes I still have to take a rest when I am cleaning up, but I am trying and I thank God each and every day,” the survivor emphasised.
As the Cancer Foundation continues to grow with members and volunteers, it remains committed to “provide help and inspire hope to those affected by cancer through early detection, education, awareness and free medical screening with a focus on the medically underserved, low-income and underinsured population.”

Noting the aspect of low-income earners, Saeedah explained that a large percentage of working females earn $60, 000 and below, which by the time they cover living expenses, are not left with anything to fund medical check-ups such as cancer screening, though it is vital. The pap-smear is offered to sexually-active women from about age 20 upwards. Aside from cancer cells, the procedure can detect the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which is sexually transmitted.

The Cancer Foundation, led by a board and currently a group of 15 volunteers, is also aiming to reintegrate cancer survivors back into society and enlarge the community support system to make strides against cancer for fighters and survivors.