Fighting Cancer in Africa - Voices of doctors and patients (IAEA) April 2006
It's my story: A patient's daughter
Lamunu Penina: A patient's daughter
Summary:
Lamunu Penina has travelled a long way from home to get treatment for her mother who has cancer of the cervix. Lamunu cares for her mother and provides all the support she can. She has seen much improvement in her mother's health since she began radiation therapy. Lamunu wishes that the government of Uganda would support the unit to ensure that it continues to operate and treat the sick.
Suggested introduction:
Cancer does not just affect the individual. It involves the whole family. At the Mulago hospital many of the patients coming for their daily dose of radiation are accompanied. A relative or a friend provides much-appreciated support. Lamunu Penina has travelled a long way from home with her mother who has cancer of the cervix and is half way through her treatment. This is her story.
Tape in:
We are a long way from...
Tape out:
...help the sick people in Uganda.
Closing Announcement:
A media toolkit for reporting on cancer and its treatment. This pack has been produced for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Transcript
Penina
We are a long way from our home, 360 kilometers, to bring my mother who is very sick suffering from cancer. We thought we should come to Mulago Hospital because this is the only place which has the machine for the radiotherapy to treat the patient. In northern Uganda there is no treatment of that kind. If you came on the first week you would not sit with her in one room, the smell was so terrible. But because of the treatment there is a lot of improvement with her. That smell is decreasing although she is still not eating well, the appetite is not there. I take her to hospital every day. I give her all the support like at least, you know talking to her so that she can eat a bit. So I give her some little things to eat. I encourage her. It is difficult, it is very difficult. I just want my mother to heal, I want her to, to be ok in the future, because I love her and like her to be there, she gives me comfort when she is alive. She is very important to me. I would wish the government also should assist that unit because it is very, very important, it is the only one in Uganda. Imagine yesterday, it broke down yesterday, and I got so worried I thought that it would not be repaired again. So when I was going back today I thought I would not get the machine working. And she would die definitely. So I would wish the government should also give some support to that unit so that it continues working and to help the sick people in Uganda. End of track
