When a urinary tract infection turned more serious, Martha needed medical care that was not easily available to her as an indigenous woman living in a rural area. She was diagnosed with an advanced HPV infection which had progressed to cancer.
“My disease was very advanced, and the options were to get chemotherapy or remove my uterus,” Martha explained. Because chemotherapy didn’t guarantee that the cancer wouldn’t return, Martha made the decision to have her uterus and one ovary removed. Throughout the process, Friendship Bridge supported her.
Health support when she needed it
“Thank God I didn’t pay for anything, [Friendship Bridge] paid for everything. For the operation, and the postoperative medications as well,” Martha said. “Alejandrina, the nurse, was there supporting me step by step. She continued visiting me after the operation.”
Because of this detection, swift follow-up care to perform a hysterectomy removed the cancer and saved her life. Martha’s health care was provided for free thanks to the Health for Life program. “Friendship Bridge gave me a chance for a second life,” Martha says. “In my case, I would not be here if I did not have this opportunity.”
Today, she encourages other women to get their check-ups, practice self-care and self-love. When faced with a difficult health diagnosis, she urges other women to persevere. “We only have one life, and we cannot buy it by going to a store … We must love and value ourselves.”
Early detection saved Martha's life.
Through our Health for Life program, women like Martha receive preventive screenings, follow-up care, and a nurse at their side, even in rural communities where care is hard to reach. With your gift, you can help more women access the life-saving care they need.like Health for Life care available through the Health for Life program determined that Martha had stage 1 cervical cancer. A hysterectomy removed the cancer and saved her life.
