Radwa, Egypt

Sometimes, we encounter situations in life that cause a complete change in our lives. Cancer is one such thing, as it can alter your life and transform it from one state to another.

I am Radwa, and I work as a unit manager at Baheya Hospitals and Centers. Before graduating from university, I had an experience with a friend whose life was completely changed due to her mother's cancer diagnosis.

The worst feeling a person can experience is helplessness, as you may find yourself as a friend unable to assist your friend in their significant problem that has impacted their life.

The issue was that our friend was specialized in the field of oncology and was knowledgeable about her mother's condition. Therefore, all our words of comfort and reassurance that she would improve were fruitless because she fully understood her situation.

At that time, my friend said that if this disease were a person, the easiest thing would be to kill it, but unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done.

At the beginning of my professional life, I did not want to work in anything related to the field of oncology because all the scenarios I had experienced in my life, most importantly this situation, significantly affected me, and I felt that this field was very gloomy, depressing, and emotionally heavy.

I received a job offer in a place where I was very eager to work at, and at the same time, I received a job offer at Baheya. I was extremely happy with the job I first got, but the procedures I had to go through to start the job would take time, so I decided that in the meantime, I would work at Baheya until I started my dream job.

During this period, and within my first month, I encountered a series of situations that made me realize that the matter was not just a job, but something much bigger than I had imagined. An oncology patient is different from any other patient in that they become a permanent visitor and an integral part of the place, and over time you get to know them well, and they also know you, and they come to the hospital to ask about you by name.

I found myself, after initially planning to work in this place for two or three months, staying for two years now. There were many times when I woke up from sleep and asked myself why I was doing this or working in such a difficult field, even though I could have been in a much calmer place that would give me more opportunities. However, I always remembered a famous saying that goes, "If people were to give up on any task they find difficult, both worldly achievement and spiritual growth both would perish." Not every responsibility that we find difficult should be abandoned, otherwise, no one would bear the responsibility for anything in the world. Also, when I see the amount of gratitude and love in the eyes of the breast cancer fighters, this makes any difficulty easier for me because I feel that I come to this place every day and make a difference in their lives.

Every day, a patient comes seeking help, and all I think about is the story of my friend and her mother, and how if she were in the patient's place, I would want her to find someone to help her in her treatment journey and make it easier. Helping a cancer patient relieves them and removes some of the psychological pressure that already exists on them.

The cancer patient may be losing not only her health but also her time, money, or people around her. Therefore, when we give them our time and effort, we are not doing them a favor. We are simply trying to be a cog in the wheel of their illness journey.

And so, I realized that my work at Baheya is not merely a job, but a mission. A mission of hope for every cancer fighter and a message of strength for all those who have lost hope. Here, I find myself a part of a healing journey, and I see in the eyes of each patient a story worthy of being told, and a strength worthy of being celebrated. I am proud to be a part of this great institution, and to contribute to bringing a smile to the faces of those who deserve it.