The “Last Mile” to Treatment Access: Kankou’s Story
The story of Kankou, a 37-year-old mother and cancer survivor from Senegal, who makes a recurring, 450km, “last mile” journey to access cancer medication donated through The Max Foundation.
Last month, we hosted our 2021 Maximize Life Gala – a worldwide party to bridge the gap in diagnostics and cancer care. Although we couldn’t be together in person, our hearts were still touched by the many friends who gathered online to celebrate.
Thank you to all the guests who tuned in from around the world! In total, participants in 22 countries watched the virtual gala.
Our virtual party kicked off with an around-the-world adventure piloted by our emcee Kevin Joyce. We got to visit each region Max works in and hear how people all over are living with dignity and hope in the face of cancer. And for our Seattle-area guests, we even included a tasting experience with global food and local drinks.
In total, we raised over $167,000 at the Maximize Life Gala this year – all in support of bridging the gap in diagnostics and cancer care!
A huge thanks to all who joined us and gave during the 2021 Maximize Life Gala. And a special thank you to our event sponsors for helping us throw an amazing event!
The Max Foundation is a leading global health nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating health equity. For 27 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.
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….
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