We (Chris and I) have been meeting with Dr. Linh and Dr. Thuan at the K Hospital in Hanoi this past week. We are working with them on ways to increase the scope of the Breast Cancer Club and ideas for the development of the Bright Future Fund. Yesterday, we spent some time on the breast cancer ward with Dr. Linh meeting with patients and distributing gifts. We brought 2 suitcases from home filled with therapeutic creams, lotions and soaps (generously donated by Dr. Stanley Strick and his team, and Liz Bryant of Estee Lauder in NY). We also brought notebooks and pens for the patients to begin a journaling project to help them deal with their emotional journey through treatment. 50 mastectomy bras, camisoles and breast forms, donated by Linda Jackson, breast cancer survivor and president of the Softee Corporation, and an additional 40 mastectomy bras donated by my mother Dorothy Kapica, a 59 year survivor of breast cancer.
Meeting with the patients reinforced for me why I started GFC. I am still a photographer, and sometimes my images express my feelings much better than my words ever could.
30 year old woman, battling breast cancer
2 Comments
Beautiful images Carolyn and I’m so happy to hear about the gifts. I’m sure the ladies LOVED them. I miss it there. The realness and sense of community among the women. Huge hugs to you and I can’t wait to share this post!
I visited K Hospital in June 2012 as my 1st cousin who is 29 had surgery there. It was an emotional time for me and my family and it made me realise how lucky I am to be in the UK with a NHS.
The conditions in my view were pretty bad..but the the way the patients bonded was incredibly admirable and made me proud to witness the dignity and strength of these women.
I wished that I could make the rooms bigger, the walls whiter or fresher.. Be able to put some fresh flowers up or even some colourful art work up or somehow do something to raise the internal standards/ decor of the place just so the environment wasn’t so dreaded. It was so hot.. No air conditioning.. No fans for individual patients (unless provided by family themselves).. Just a ceiling fan to share for all.. And yet the ladies kept smiling, kept sharing and kept positive. I’m humbled.
Thank you for coming to K hospital and capturing some beautiful images… I wasnt able to photograph what I consider as my people’s pain.. Though I got a good shot of my cousin smiling with a British Teddy bear!