Heba, Egypt

About seven years ago, I discovered my illness when I felt a lump in my left breast. At the time, I didn’t know where I should go for an examination. My mother had been seeing advertisements for Baheya Foundation on TV, so she advised me to go there.

I contacted them, booked an appointment, and went to Baheya. After the initial examination, the doctor told me to get a mammogram and an ultrasound. He was so concerned about my case that he personally went up to the radiology department with me to speed things up, ensuring the scans were done that same day.

I had the scans done immediately, and after the doctor reviewed it, he requested a biopsy. I had that done the same day as well, and they told me they would call as soon as the results were out. When I returned for the results, the MDT decision was to start with chemotherapy, followed by a total mastectomy of the left breast.

Because I suffered from severe anemia, I began with hormone therapy first until my condition improved. After that, I started my scheduled 15 sessions of chemotherapy.

During my treatment, my greatest supporters were my sister and my mother. My husband, however, showed no interest in my condition at all. Whenever I asked him to accompany me to a treatment session, he would come and pick fights at the hospital just so I wouldn't ask him to join me again.

From the moment I learned about my illness, I felt he wouldn't support me, so I asked for a quiet separation, but he refused at first. However, once the physical changes from chemotherapy began to show, he left me immediately—he couldn't handle it. He refused to pay the house rent and told me to move in with my mother.

During that time, I joined the beadwork workshops in the psychosocial support department at Baheya. I learned the craft and gradually began producing items to sell. This has become my only source of income for now, but I dream of growing my project and having a significant, stable income.