Impact Report

Fredesrinda

Location: Instituto National del Cancer, Asuncion, Paraguay

Fredesrinda has lung cancer.  Life has not been easy since her diagnosis.  In fact, like so many in Paraguay, it never has been particularly easy.  Fifty-four years old, she lives with her 74-year-old husband, their four sons and one daughter in eastern Paraguay.  Fredesrinda’s husband earns only a few dollars a day as a farm laborer. With this they have managed to support the family—until now. A cancer diagnosis and frequent travel to Asuncion have wreaked havoc in their lives.

But in one sense Fredesrinda feels very fortunate. Because of NCC donations of the chemotherapy medication Paclitaxel as well as other support drugs and supplies, she is able to receive quality cancer treatment at the public hospital in Asuncion free of charge. Without these donations she simply would not be able to pay for her chemotherapy treatments.  She would be faced with certain death.  Instead, doctors are seeing encouraging results from her treatments. Her progress has been steady and there is hope that she will recover.

The family has little extra income to pay for any of the additional costs her illness has incurred. The five-hour bus trip into Asuncion every three weeks costs $20.00 US.  That’s a significant sum of money for them.  They have no extra money for food or lodging while on the trips. Thanks to donor support, though, NCC is able to help Fredesrinda with some of these extra expenses, to ease their burden just a little bit.

A deeply religious person, tears spring to Fredesrinda’s eyes as she speaks of her gratitude, “First of all,” she says, “Thank you to the foundation that makes the donations to Paraguay. I hope that they can continue because they are very expensive for us. Some people have no money and without the donations they would never have any help. So — God helping — with the medications, people will get better.”

Donate now to help patients like Fredesrinda who can’t possibly afford the treatment they desperately need.

Background Information

NCC has partnered with Teva Pharmaceuticals for ten years. This collaboration has resulted in more than 75 million dollars worth of donated chemotherapy and related medications to countries in the NCC network.

Paraguay is a ‘primary focus country’ in the NCC network. NCC maintains an in-country office and staff, as well as a modern warehouse for medications.

Paclitaxel is a major drug player in chemotherapy protocols involving, among others, lung, ovarian and uterine cancers.

NCC Cares - Paclitaxel - Paraguay - Teva