Gloria Okwu

Survivor

My name is Gloria. I am a Nigerian. I was diagnosed in March 2017 with an estrogen(+) progesterone(+) HER 2- breast cancer. I was 32 years old, a single parent and just graduated from the university.

After my mastectomy, I declined further treatments due to the “chemo scare” prevalent among women in my country. In 2018, I had a local recurrence on my chest wall. I opted for herbal/ traditional remedies. This did not work, so, had to overcome my fear of chemotherapy and go back to the hospital.

I have completed my treatment and would like to keep advising African women to seek help from the hospitals rather than using herbs which is one of the major causes of death. I want them to see cancer as an illness not a death sentence. I want them listen to professionals when diagnosed and take the right actions quickly to improve chances of survival.

Being diagnosed has helped me appreciate people the more and prioritize better. I owe a lot to friends and care givers. No one deserves to battle cancer alone.