When Nour discovered – almost by chance – that she had breast cancer , it was a great shock. Two years have passed since then, now the woman is 38 and, together with her husband, continues to face the complex path of treatment , a painful path both physically and psychologically.
As if that were not enough, she also had to face a series of financial problems caused unfortunately by the high cost of treatment: in Syria, where Nour lives, access to medical care is increasingly restricted, and the right to health clashes harshly with a reality of serious economic crisis.
A support for chemotherapy
Part of the chemotherapy doses were provided to Nour free of charge by a public hospital in Damascus, but the rest was paid for by the patient herself. And this was a huge problem to deal with, because her husband, on a salary as an employee, could barely cover his daily needs .
The two then began to look for a way, help, support to not interrupt the chemotherapy.
Luckily, a pharmacist suggested they turn to the Seeds of Hope center in Homs, where they were welcomed: “We listened to their story of suffering – an operator from the center tells us – the trauma of the diagnosis, at the beginning, was particularly difficult to overcome.
However, Nour could count on the closeness of her husband and the people close to her. But, of course, it was not enough.”
After listening to Nour’s words and collecting all the necessary clinical information, the office of Semi di Speranza immediately set in motion to do everything possible: contributing to the costs of chemotherapy doses and diagnostic imaging tests; providing psychological support to the woman, to work on the emotional consequences of the disease.
“I feel safe here”
The team at the center is taking care of this matter with delicacy, 
as is his habit, after all: “Nour often comes to visit us with her husband, they feel safe here. Since she started attending group meetings, we have also noticed an improvement on a psychological level: meeting other patients, and sharing experiences, has partly reduced her anxiety. She has also started thinking about the future again”.
Yes, the future : Nour in fact attended a computer science course and an advertising design course, so as to have the opportunity to enter the job market.
It’s a huge step forward: it means looking beyond healing and taking your life back into your own hands.
