Please Help Lucy Tabuchi Beat Cancer!

Kind. Generous. Selfless. Caring. Peaceful.

If anyone spent 5 minutes with our mum/grandma, Lucy Tabuchi, and was asked what she was like, these are the most likely words that would spring to mind.

Lucy comes from Livitua village, on the east coast of the small island of New Ireland, in the far flung north-east corner of Papua New Guinea. A widow and former school teacher, Lucy is a loving and caring mother, grandmother, aunt, sister and friend to many, and is well loved within her community. She is an active member of her local community and church, constantly organising church activities, volunteering at the local school, and helping out with local sports. Sadly she lost our dad/grandpa 3 years ago to a stroke, and has been throwing herself into community work more than ever.

Lucy is the type of person that will give her last dollar so that someone else won’t go hungry. Our mum has fostered many kids, especially those from broken homes or who have been abandoned by their families. She donates food, money, medicine and clothes to those in need. She pays school fees for other kids whose families can’t afford it. As she lives in a rural area on the island, she uses her vehicle to transport people to the local health centre to receive medical treatment, and asks for nothing in return. She is a compassionate, kind woman and always tries her best to help anyone in need. During a bad drought a few years ago, she and our dad dug a well and used their knowledge to hand make a water pump so that the locals were able to have water. She cares for the local environment, particularly the ocean, and educates and raises awareness locally about caring for marine life.

Now she needs your help. Lucy’s been unwell for some time, but due to the severe lack of medical services in PNG, she has only been recently diagnosed. Our mum has multiple myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells.

Our mum’s cancer is the aggressive type (stage III) and she requires immediate treatment.

With this condition, a group of plasma cells becomes cancerous and multiplies. The disease can damage the bones, immune system, kidneys and red blood cell count. As Lucy has been sick for a while, the cancer has already affected her bones and has affected her right arm so severely that she has not been able to use it at all for the past 3 months. With successful treatment beginning immediately however, she can kick the cancer.

The specialised chemotherapy she requires is not available in PNG and is very costly. The best option she has available for treatment is in Manila in the Phillipines, where she has already started chemo this past week. She requires 9 months of chemotherapy, and so has to remain in the Phillipines for 9 months undergoing treatment, with a full time carer.

Our mum is a strong woman, and has faith that she will beat the cancer. We love and care for our mum and are doing our best to help her in this fight. She wants to see her grandkids grow up, and remains positive, in spite of her diagnosis. She is determined to beat the cancer! But we need your help please. She needs your help. The cost of her treatment for such a long period is very expensive and we need your assistance. Anything you may be able to donate will be used for Lucy’s medical expenses, transport, and care. We truly appreciate anything you can give to help her beat cancer. Every dollar counts! Thank you so much for your kindness. xo


With love & thanks,
Lucy’s family.