Elizabeth
by Sofia Augustine-Adams
Njeri Elizabeth Gathogo is a tailor from Nyeri, Kenya, a pastoral town located two hours north of Nairobi by car.
It is often difficult for people with cancer and other life threatening illnesses to get proper medical attention in rural areas, such as Nyeri. Access to pain medication, proper radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and surgical facilities either do not exist or are incredibly limited. Access to palliative care, which includes physical, emotional, and spiritual care, is also scarce. Elizabeth is a cancer survivor, and now an advocate for cancer awareness. She attends meetings at the Nyeri Hospice and is part of a women’s survivors group.
Elizabeth has overcome her battle with breast cancer, and now works to help other women in similar situations.