Meet Rafael Jiménez García in Santo Domingo, National District, of the Dominican Republic. He’s worked at the Dominican League Against Cancer for 16 years, and for over 7 years he’s been collecting samples for the PCR tests of patients within our program.
Describe a typical work week:
I welcome each patient, collect their sample, and process it according to the established protocol to ensure reliable results. I also organize the care of patients who come in for sample collection and verify and organize the results to ensure they are delivered on time.
How did you hear about The Max Foundation (Max) and connect with us?
Through Martha Rosario, the Max program coordinator for the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
How many patients are you treating in the program?
As a biomedical laboratory technician, I collect samples for PCR testing three days a week, and we perform an average of approximately 30 tests per week.
Why do you do this work, caring for patients living with cancer or rare illness?
Because every sample I process represents a life and an opportunity to improve the well-being of the people I care for. Working in this area allows me to contribute with accuracy, empathy, and commitment, knowing that a reliable result is vital to their treatment and well-being.
What types of challenges do you and your patients regularly face?
The greatest challenge I face is maintaining the highest level of accuracy and speed when processing each sample, while ensuring proper quality control for patients. For patients, the greatest challenges are the emotional uncertainty surrounding the diagnosis and the barriers that may arise and make it difficult to continue their treatment.
What is a special memory you have with patients?
A special memory is when a patient comes in for sample collection and later returns with a gesture of gratitude and kind words for the care they received. Knowing that, even in the midst of such a difficult situation, they feel supported and valued through our work is deeply comforting to me.
What do you love most about where you live?
The kindness of the people around me, the way we keep our traditions alive, the food, and the biodiversity.
What languages do you speak?
Spanish and basic English.
When you’re not working, what do you like to do for fun?
I enjoy playing dominoes, watching TV, and spending time by the river.
What’s your favorite food?
– Seafood: I really like grilled shrimp and fried octopus
– Fish: fried, low in salt, and very fresh
– Meat: especially when it’s grilled and cooked medium-rare
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.
Leona from Paraguay has been playing volleyball since she was young. However, it became difficult because she was feeling unusually tired. Tests later confirmed she had chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). She told her physician she wasn’t afraid and that she’d fight for herself and her children, who were 14 and 4 at the time. “My name is Leona—like a lioness. I can’t stay lying down…..
Nothing is more powerful than storytelling, especially when it’s told from a person’s first-hand experience.
In the Asia Pacific region, we are often known as “shy” community. We do not often share our stories publicly, especially a story about cancer diagnosis. We often have no one to turn to because we do not want our parents to worry; we do not want our children to feel the burden; we do not want to tell our neighbors who might be starting to avoid us because we are diagnosed with cancer.
Viji Venkatesh visits Kabitha, the very first patient in Nepal to be tested through our Spot On CML collaboration with Fred Hutch. Since her test, 35 patients have gained diagnostic testing through the Spot On CML initiative!
