Fetle is 24. She was diagnosed with breast cancer 6 months ago. Sadly the disease had already spread and could not be cured. When she came to us she was suffering with pain in her breast, spine, underarm and left leg. She had no pain killers. The breast cancer had spread through the skin, causing an open wound that was infected. She had become incontinent which, with other symptoms, suggested she had cancer in her spine and was at high risk of becoming paralysed.
Fetle was born several hundreds of miles outside Addis Ababa and been abandoned at birth. She had been brought up by a non-governmental organisation. At 18 she was raped by one of their workers and she subsequently had twins.
Fetle used to work as a cleaner but can’t anymore, due to the pain and other symptoms. As there is no welfare system in Ethiopia she had become entirely reliant on neighbours for food and support.
So what can Hospice Ethiopia do for Fetle?
We are giving Fetle pain killers, antibiotics for her infected wound and steroids to try and prevent paralysis. We will phone her and visit her each week, to review her symptoms and the effectiveness of the medicines.
We are also providing ongoing psychological, spiritual and financial support. £10 per month will be enough for her and her twins to eat properly. We will also help Fetle make plans for her twins, once she cannot care for them herself.
Hospice Ethiopia UK 