Shalet Souza is a 42-year-old nun at the Institute of Sisters of the Little Flower of Bethany, in Mangalore, India. She currently takes care of aspiring nuns and lives a life devoted to learning and supporting others, including the poor and needy in her region.
At 29, Shalet sought treatment for frequent fevers, which would normally resolve themselves within a few days. During that time, she was selected to study religion at Vidya Jyothi College in Delhi. Shalet was encouraged by a colleague to get a proper blood test as a precaution before she left for her studies. The test was a blessing in disguise, indicating that her white blood cell count was abnormal.
Further examination, including testing of her bone marrow, led to a diagnosis of leukemia. Despite the shocking news, Shalet remained optimistic thanks to the support of her family and congregation. Her doctor prescribed medication to treat her disease and directed her to The Max Foundation (Max).
Through Max, she is provided with the necessary dosage free of cost and periodic blood tests confirm the quantity of cancerous cells present in her blood. Shalet views the nausea caused by the medication to be a minor symptom compared to the chemotherapy and radiation that other patients are suffering through.
Shalet now considers The Max Foundation to be her second care home and has bonded with fellow patients over the years. She’s thankful for the Max-led awareness programs and activities, as well as insights from doctors that relieve her doubts. She continues to live a healthy and happy life and encourages her fellow patients to “not lose heart, take courage, and be positive. Cancer is a small test to prove our mettle.”
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.
October is my favorite month of the year. It marks a changing of the seasons in both the southern and northern hemispheres that brings a sense of reflection and excitement. As such, there could not be a more appropriate month to celebrate theMaximize Life Global Cancer Awareness Campaign, an initiative that encourages people impacted by cancer to reflect on their experiences, celebrate their resiliency, and share their stories with the world.
In Vietnam, due to the lack of specialist in rural areas, a significant number of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients with minimal cash in hand must travel hundreds to thousands of kilometers to reach the hospitals in the city. The expenses for the trip itself is already a challenge for many patients let alone the cost of treatment. But today, there are numerous CML survivors who directly benefit from The Max Foundation’s patient access program to receive their cancer treatment at no cost. A living testimony to the success of our program is Lan.
Cancer survivors like my mom are real heroes, not many people have the courage to look at death in the eye and say CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!
