Alma's Story

In my case, I got colon cancer. My operation consisted of clamping my colon. It is the latest technology, and I have to go to La Paz to have it done.

It has been difficult. I've been fighting this for three years and I have had three surgeries since then.

But there is still a lot to do. We cannot let people die because they don't have $700 to pay for an operation.

I feel we have to create a consciousness about cancer. Not because it happened to us, but because this is a silent war. It doesn't matter how many times you have fought the battle, the war is not over yet. We need to encourage ourselves to keep fighting because the treatment is not easy. But it helps.

And even though sometimes you feel like the chemotherapy is killing you, you have to fight the pain. Because life is beautiful and you need to know how to live your life. You never know when it is going to be over.

So we have a lot to do. We have to talk to people about cancer. We have to start with our house, neighbors and community. Thank God for the doctors who are responsible for helping us.

I went to La Paz because simply going to the bathroom would make my head hurt. My doctor told me that I was going to die. I laughed, saying, "What are you talking about? I came because I had had a headache." He told me I had a tumor. He told me if they could find 5 cm of my colon to be healthy, they could save me. And they did. I think that surgery was performed first on me.

It worked. Thank God for the doctors. We need them.

But there is still a lot to do. We cannot let people die because they don't have $700 to pay for an operation. I don't want to leave my children with the problem in their hands. I would like to leave them the solution; a center where they can come to get cured.

» Read more stories like this.

Partners: