Single Mom has New Mission in Life

Yos Sok is a 50 year old, housewife and single mother from Kampot province, located approximately 160 kilometers from Phnom Penh city. She lives in a small wooden house, with walls made from leaves, which she shares with other families. She earns $1.25-$1.75 a day selling cake and fruits to school students. Mrs. Sok is very fortunate to have a brother that is able to send her son to school.

She first came to the Sihanouk Hospital Center of HOPE in 2008, after finding a lump in her left breast. Mrs. Sok heard about the hospital through her niece who is a nursing student in Phnom Penh. Mrs. Sok was so excited to hear that the hospital would provide good quality care and treatment for free.

During her consultation she was sent to do a biopsy of the lump and was found having bilateral invasive lobular carcinoma at 3rd Stage and hormone receptor positive. She immediately had a bilateral mastectomy, which is the best form of treatment for her condition. Right after the surgery she was put on adjuvant therapy with Arimidex, which is a medicine received by the hospital through a Breast Cancer Grant from Astra Zeneca.

Smiling and looking healthy, Mrs. Sok came for her follow up in October 2011.
“Thank you so much to all the doctors that saved my life. I promise that I will go back home to tell my neighbors about danger of having lumps in the breast, because in my village there are many women who have breast problems like me. I cannot let them die without going to see the doctor. If they come to the doctor late they may face death soon. I am very lucky to come on time. I just want to say my word to the young ladies who has lumps in your breast you must go quickly to see the doctor because they can help you.”

Because of her commitment to educate other women about breast cancer prevention and her personal testimony of the positive benefits of self examination and early treatment, Yos Sok has accepted a position as Breast Cancer peer educator for the SHCH.