We’ve asked directions at least four times, lost in the meantime in a maze of unmarked dirt roads. Lost among sick dogs, loose chickens, hanging clothes, burning yard fires, children everywhere, weathered faces staring, and endless people sweeping endless dust.  Tropical growth is rampaging, and many houses have curtains for doors.  We were in Honduras in the city of San Pedro Sula, but in name only. This barrio is a life separate from the urban existence of the rest of the city.

Finally, we find the correct turn for Elba’s house, and she is out front.

We first met Elba the day before, when she was visiting the clinic FundalCancer, a non-profit organization in San Pedro. The Breast Cancer Relief Foundation (TBCRF) has donated Tamoxifen, a life-saving breast cancer therapy medication, to the foundation. FundalCancer then distributes the Tamoxifen and other of TBCRF’s donations to underserved women in Honduras for their breast cancer therapy. These life-saving medicines are financially beyond all reach for these women.

Elba’s difficulties began in 2005 when she felt a lump in her breast. She found a way to have a mammogram, and a tumor was indeed detected. The doctors ordered a biopsy immediately, but Elba could not afford to pay for this important procedure. Finally, in January 2006, she was able to scrape enough money together. The results dictated the need for an immediate lumpectomy, which was performed that very month. To her great relief, the accompanying lymph node dissection was negative. Elba received 25 treatments of radiation, and then started the regime of Tamoxifen in May 2006. But to be effective, she would have to continue this medication uninterrupted for five years.

Jose, Elba’s husband, is a construction worker, and before she became ill, Elba was a seamstress by trade. They have 3 children: a grown son and daughter and a seven-year-old daughter, who brings endless joy to her mother. When Elba got sick, her children worried that their mother might die. Elba’s mother was so frightened that she became ill from anxiety. Elba suffered from depression in the beginning, and confesses to bouts of crying. Now her eyes seem deep and gentle, her manner stoic and determined. “Now”, she states, “my entire family has learned that cancer is not a death sentence.”

The financial burden has been devastatingly difficult. At first, when she had to purchase the Tamoxifen herself, the family had to do without everyday necessities such as toothpaste, toilet paper, and enough food. She has not had the strength to get back to work yet, but peace of mind is returning. She is in remission and getting stronger by the day. And because she is benefiting from the TBCRF Tamoxifen donations, she feels confident again about her future. Hope has replaced fear.

The closeness of Elba’s family has helped see her through her illness. Her entire family lives in a compound of houses connected by a common central yard full of laundry, chickens, and family togetherness. Her elderly mother and father live in the primary house. Adjoining and surrounding the central outdoor area are Elba’s small home and that of her sister. It’s a warm and colorful household, a traditional, communal Honduran family.

To see her surrounded by the liveliness and love of her extended family, combined with the knowledge that continued therapy with Tamoxifin will greatly enhance her continued remission is to thoroughly understand the importance of TBCRF’s program to bring breast cancer aid to women of all nationalities and backgrounds.