The journey from experiencing the first symptoms of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) to finding an effective treatment can be long, difficult, and painful, especially in low- and middle-income countries. That was the case for Chamu from Harare, Zimbabwe. It took him more than a year to get a diagnosis, but he kept fighting and is now on medication that helps him manage his symptoms and get his strength back.
He first started feeling unwell in 2016, coughing continuously on his way home from an exhibition at a local university. Over the next year, Chamu’s cough got worse and sometimes he would lose strength and collapse. He had many diagnostic tests done over this period – chest X-rays, blood tests, an endoscopy, an ultrasound, a lung function test, and a painful biopsy. He received a variety of treatments that were either not effective or only helped with his symptoms briefly.
After seeing a hematologist, Chamu was prescribed very expensive medications. They seemed to work well for a while. Then, in November 2017, Chamu went to the hospital because he was feeling weak. As he was climbing the stairs to his room, he collapsed and woke up in a hospital bed. He stayed there for a week to receive treatment. Then, he was admitted again in December.
“My situation got worse, and I requested to be discharged from the hospital so that I go to Harare, as I had heard that there was a new drug,” Chamu said. “I went to Harare in a critical state.”
After starting Imatinib (Glivec) for CML, his coughing went away in just a week. He also started to gain back the roughly 60 pounds he lost. The Max Foundation and its partners provide access to support, care, and medication like Glivec in 77 low- and middle-income countries, including Zimbabwe.
“If it were not for the medication that I get from The Max Foundation, I might have been history by now,” Chamu said. “I greatly appreciate the assistance they are providing, especially given the economic situation in our country.”
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.
Year after year I dread this day, March 9th, the day cancer took Max from us. No matter how many years pass, how excited I might be about our progress, our goals and vision for the future, as the day approaches, I feel a dark cloud settling in. Suddenly I am back to 1991 and….
March 9th is a day of mourning and grief for The Max Foundation and for anyone who knows our story and loves the Organization. On March 9th 1991, 30 years ago, cancer took Max from us at MD Anderson Cancer Center at 11:10 am. For those lucky to have known him, Max will forever be….
The Max Foundation is joining Poptivism — a consumer-driven charitable giving program that sells unique PopSocket Grips and donates 50% of the sales of those PopGrips to support a nonprofit’s mission (that’s us!). Please consider purchasing one of our Poptivism PopGrips today! With each purchase, you’ll help expand access to lifesaving cancer treatment the world over.
