Meet Karen! She’s been with The Max Foundation since 2024, working as a Program Coordinator in our Latin America region. Learn more about why she started with the organization, what her work week looks like, and a special memory she had with a patient.
What drew you to join The Max Foundation, and why does our mission resonate with you?
What motivated me to join The Max Foundation was knowing that I could contribute in my own small way to helping other people, and that my daily work would have a different purpose from anything I had done before: making a positive impact on someone’s life.
What is a special memory you have with patients?
One special memory I have is when I attended my first patient meeting in El Salvador, shortly after I started working at The Max Foundation. I hadn’t been talking with the patients for very long, but when I met them, I felt such a warm welcome and so much gratitude, even though they barely knew me. It was truly a joy for my heart.
Describe a typical work week
If you could describe The Max Foundation in three words, what would they be?
If you could instantly master any skill, what would it be?
Conflict resolution
What languages do you speak?
What do you love most about where you live?
I really like that it’s a country where you can go from the beach to the forest and enjoy nature.
When you’re not working, what do you like to do for fun?
I really enjoy spending time with my family, being together, and going out for walks.
What’s your favorite food?
Pasta, any kind
If you could have dinner with someone famous, who would it be?
Chris Hemsworth
What is your favorite holiday and how do you celebrate it?
I love celebrating birthdays, both mine and my family’s. I really enjoy doing something fun and making the most of that day.
The Max Foundation is a leading global health nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating health equity. For 28 years, Max has pioneered practical, scalable, high-quality solutions to bring life-extending treatments and patient-centered health care to more than 100,000 people living with cancer and critical illness in low- and middle-income countries. Max believes in a world where all people can access high-impact medicines, where geography is not destiny, and where everyone can strive for health with dignity and with hope.
This summer, India Country Head Viji Venkatesh is crisscrossing the USA to host Chai for Cancer addas and share The Max Foundation vision. Started in India, Chai for Cancer is our global initiative to invite our community to partner with us. There have already been a number of events in Houston, Charlotte, and New Jersey with more to come!
The Indian subcontinent has always been characterized by the stoic inner strength of its population that has helped them overcome natural and man-made disasters that seem to always be lying in wait for them. Burdened by their large populations, poor economy and the inept administration of their largely unstable governments, it has fallen upon the people to come to their own rescue.
And it is not so different for their health either. Besides the share of debilitating infectious diseases, many are facing a rising incidence of non-communicable diseases, such as cancer. The challenges here go beyond funding. There is fear, denial, and the heavy burden of stigma.
Access to healthcare is fundamental for cancer patients to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment. According to ResearchGate, the average distance a person living in an under-resourced country travels to access healthcare is 15 miles (25 km) one-way or 30 miles (50km) roundtrip. Patients accessing treatment through The Max Foundation travel even further – an average….
