KANSAS CITY, Mo — Dr. Juliet Appiah, a Saint Luke’s Health System medical oncologist and hematologist, spends her weeks taking care of cancer patients in the Northland.
Her weekends are dedicated to the community that raised her in Ghana.
"I feel compelled to help back home," Appiah said.
In the states, many breast cancer patients have a clear path to treatment.
The five-year survival rate for women in sub-Saharan Africa is close to 50 percent, according to the World Health Organization.
Appiah said the passing of her aunt at a young age from breast cancer sparked her need to give back.
She started her nonprofit, Cancer Support Network Foundation, in 2018. The need has only grown since.
"And now, the requests are beyond me," Appiah said. "My husband and I — our paycheck alone cannot do it."
Appiah’s organization provides financial and emotional support for cancer patients year-round.
Twice a year, she makes the trip across the Atlantic to screen people for cancer from populated cities to remote villages.
Appiah said she found finances are a huge burden for many Ghanians.
"If you do not have the money, you will die," she said. "And the majority of people don't even have work to support themselves, even feeding is difficult."
Appiah said she started out wanting to help pay for the treatment of five people. She’s surpassed that goal many times over.
"Seeing people not in pain, seeing people healthy, seeing people wanting to fight because they have the support they need really brings me a lot of joy and fulfillment," she said.
Appiah's next trip to Ghana is planned for late December when she will dedicate her time to screening patients for cervical cancer.
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