Ethiopia faces steep odds in managing childhood cancer

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA - JULY 29: Various shots of the Mathiwos Wondu Ethiopian Cancer Society (MWECS) center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on July 29, 2019. Interviews with Furtina Mesaye,16 year-old teen suffering from cancer, and Wendu Bekele, 62, the founder and manager of MWECS on Monday. The name Mathiwos Wondu is associated with tragedy, a source of motivation and an institution that provides care and support to poor children and their families in Ethiopia. Dark clouds blanketed the skies of the capital, Addis Ababa, and the morning rain gently fell on the rooftop of the MWECS center, which supports 117 pediatric and breast cancer patients. Bekele was bereaved over the traumatic death of his son, Mathiwos. “Mathi [Mathiwos], a bright boy, was diagnosed with leukemia when he was two years old,” he said in a subdued tone. “My son spent 26 months in an intensive care unit at Black Lion Hospital in Addis Ababa, and he could not survive because of the lamentable situation with our health system.” In 2014, Bekele and his family established MWECS, which is dedicated to supporting children and families battling childhood and adolescent cancer. Many times during the interview, Bekele expressed his emotional attachment to the traumatic death of his son. "Mathiwos’ bedroom, toys and clothes are intact and will [always] be there," he noted. "They serve as a source of motivation to continue with our work, which has been recognized by many global institutions fighting childhood and all forms of cancers." According to Bekele, the center which has supported 1,800 pediatric and women cancer patients over the years, also plans to get further involved in cancer prevention activities. "We won’t give up," he added. Furtina’s smiling face hides her worries. She needs a marrow transplant to survive her blood cancer. "The transplant cannot be performed here. Who can help me? I don’t know," she said. (Footage by Mohammed Abdu Abdulbaqi/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)