Sometimes it has been easy to lose hope during my 10-year-old son’s cancer journey.

In those moments, I’ve had to cling to reassuring words—words that sometimes get drowned out by the noise of fear and uncertainty.

More about me

I live in Kenya with my husband and three sons.

My professional background is that I studied procurement, but currently I’m a food vendor.

I sell Githeri, a staple Kenyan dish of corn and beans, and Chapati, which is a flatbread. I’m looking forward to expanding my business, so we can continue to meet the financial needs of our family—especially in light of our son’s unexpected medical news.

Hawi’s journey begins

The place I sell my food is not far from our house. One day, I called my youngest son, Hawi, and asked him to bring me something from the house.

I noticed he was limping.

When I asked about it, he said he was fine and tried to prove the point by running. But we soon noticed increasing swelling below his right knee.

A few weeks later, a boy kicked Hawi while he was playing football, and the pain grew worse. So I took him to an orthopedic doctor who suggested a biopsy.

Hopeless words

When we met with the oncologist, he told us Hawi had cancer. It was caught early, stage 1C osteosarcoma, but he said he would need treatment and a possible amputation.

Then he warned me with these words:

“You need to be ready,” he said. “Because this will drain you in every way—emotionally, physically and financially.”

Getting a cancer diagnosis was difficult enough, but even more so hearing these fearful words.

In some ways, it confirmed my worst fears. I had heard stories of families in Kenya who have been broken because of cancer—even marriages ending because one spouse says, “This cancer is not in my lineage.”

The doctor’s words continued to increase my fear.

Losing hope

As the news of Hawi’s diagnosis sank in, I began to feel downcast, and hopeless. Hawi was feeling low, too, which increased my concern.

We were already struggling. My husband was recently out of work, and we were not sure if we could afford Hawi’s medical bills. I was also concerned about Hawi’s emotional and physical well-being and future.

I feared that maybe the doctor’s words would come true—that cancer would drain us in every way.

How I found hope, strength and peace against cancer

I got saved, or began a relationship with God, in 1993 when I was attending high school. My family also loves God, and we believe he has a purpose in everything, even suffering. But I wondered how God would show up in such a seemingly hopeless situation.

A Bible verse that gave me hope is Matthew 28:20: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

I often share this verse with kids in Sunday School. I tell them that God is always there, even when you are at your lowest. When you turn to your left, when you turn to your right, He is there. He can help you.

I needed to remember these words for all that lay ahead for Hawi and our family.

Not a dead end

After Hawi’s diagnosis, I wondered if he would have to get an amputation. We sought a second opinion in Nairobi, but then we learned Hawi needed an MRI that would cost $17,000—whether he had the surgery or not.

We didn’t have the money to pay for this test and only had enough to cover the bus fare back home.

I called my husband and told him, “I think we’ve met our dead end.” We returned home and that night we prayed and slept.

The next day, a long-time friend living in the United Kingdom called me unexpectedly. She asked me how we were doing, and I told her about our situation and needing an MRI.

“How much does it cost?” She asked.

“$17,000,” I said.

“I have some money,” she told me. “Someone just paid me a long-time debt, and I think the money is for you.”

I believe that God had heard our prayers, and he answered them through my friend’s generosity.

Next steps

The MRI helped the doctors determine the next step, which also included chemotherapy. Unfortunately, the test revealed they would need to amputate Hawi’s leg. So eventually, he had surgery to remove his right leg above the knee.

Afterward, he dealt with a lot of pain and as a result, Hawi stopped going to school. He and the rest of our family began to grow discouraged. We had never experienced anything like this.

Hope Has Arrived

Sometimes hope comes in unexpected places. At a low moment, I began searching Christian groups on Facebook and up popped the story from Hope Has Arrived about a girl from Zimbabwe, named Wadzi, which really caught my eye.

She is also an amputee from childhood cancer, but went on to have a bright future, including attending an Ivy League school in the United States (see “A Door of Hope”).

Reading her story and seeing her courage gave me hope. I felt like we were not alone and that God was with us and that we could make it through.

I shared the story with Hawi, who was also inspired, and we continued reading more stories on the website and joined the prayer and support group.

This story on Hope Has Arrived helped inspire us to continue treatment, to keep praying and to look forward to better days.

Hope through the church

Another way that we found hope was through our church community. During the hardest days, it seemed like our church moved to where we were. With almost every step we took, we would run into a church member who would ask how we were doing and pray for us.

There were times on this journey when I was so low I could not pray. Having people praying for us made all the difference in finding hope.

Next steps for Hawi

The latest test showed Hawi has no metastases of cancer.

He is currently recuperating and we are hoping he will be able to go back to school soon. He is using crutches, but we are hoping to find a prosthetic limb. He is beginning to be happy again, and he’s regaining weight. His hair hasn’t grown back yet, but he’s progressing well.

He used to dream of being a footballer, but he has other goals, too. He also wants to be a game developer. I believe God has a purpose for his life and that he has a bright future.

How this journey changed me

I have learned not to take things for granted.

People have asked me, how are you coping with this? I just say it’s God. Without him, we are nothing. If I didn’t know God was able, I would be dead by now.

Rather than drain us, this journey has strengthened my family. The experience has been difficult, but it has not turned out like we feared. I can honestly say God has given us strength to endure.

Advice for others

In Kenya, there are a lot of stigmas about cancer. But as Hawi’s story shows, cancer is not always a death sentence. You can survive it. It does not always break up families.

People should not forget that God is always with them. Look to your left and to your right, God is there.

If you don’t have a relationship with God, today is a good time to begin one and find the help and hope that is waiting for you.