#WorldCancerDay: How My Mother Died of Jaw Cancer -Victim’s Son

The story of Mama Nwoke from Abia State is one of the several heartrending tales, of victims, who died in the cold-hands of cancer. For her, the excruciating pain which started with a lump around her jaw, some five years ago, metamorphosed into what was later diagnosed to be Jaw Cancer.

According to her son, Mr. Emmanuel Nwoke, who narrated how they battled to safe their mother’s life from the terminal disease, but in spite of their various efforts and the whooping sum of over N3 million spent, she eventually died of the disease, because it was lately diagnosed.Click here for details.

Mama Nwoke, who died on December 22, 2015, at the age of 63, went through series of medical tests at different hospitals, from the Nigeria Christian Hospital, Nlagu, Abia State, to Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, then to Eko hospital and finally LUTH, but all to no avail.

The most embarrassing revelation from this incidence, was that LUTH, a tertiary health institution, at such critical stage, had to refer the patient to a private hospital, for radiotherapy, claiming their radiation machine was down, while several patients die daily of the condition.

If Federal government hospitals cannot provide adequate cancer care to patients, who hardly could afford special fee in private hospitals, then whose core responsibility it is to care for the healthcare of citizens in this country?

Nwoke, is using this medium to appeal to government and other corporate entities, to invest in healthcare, particularly cancer care, because the cost is unbearable for individuals, and much more, to prevent the myriads of death, recorded due to the disease.

Topsyoba wishes all cancer survivors and relatives of victims, happy World Cancer Day, saying “We can.I can.”