Cancer Stinks

A former Peace Corp Sierra Leone Education Program Manager needs our help because cancer s*cks!

If you served in Sierra Leone between 2011 and 2019, then you have probably had the pleasure of meeting Saio Marah, and he most definitely, in one way or another, helped in making your service time in Sierra Leone comfortable and successful. If you have served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in any other country or have lived/are living in a foreign country, then you understand how useful it is to have a local contact you can always trust and count on. That person you call on at any time of day or night, and they are there for you asap to make sure you feel safe and cared for.

Saio was the go-to person for many Peace Corp Volunteers that lived in the rural communities of Sierra Leone. Unfortunately, Saio recently got diagnosed with Lymphoma cancer after one year of many hospital visits full of doctors who told him he probably had typhoid or malaria and ignored (or were ignorant of) the early signs of lymphoma. If you have experienced health care in Sierra Leone, you know how it is. Even with all the disappointing hospital visits and many other life struggles thrown at Saio during the pandemic, he did not give up on himself or his family. He continued advocating for himself and taking care of his family of three kids, Daniella (8 years), Andrew (6 years), and Debora (almost 2 years), and his beautiful wife Mariama. Just before the pandemic started, Saio lost his job and found himself unemployed and without health insurance in a suddenly scarce job market. Despite his impressive resume and hard-working spirit, it still took Saio a year to get a new job for another Educational NGO in SL. Throughout this time, Saio was also paying for classes towards his Master’s Degree in Education and dealing with a mysterious illness putting his son, Andrew, through agonizing episodes of full-body pain every month. After several misdiagnoses, Andrew was finally diagnosed with Sickle Cell Anemia, a disease treated with meds that are extremely hard to find in Sierra Leone. Right around the time Saio and Mariama finally acquired meds for Andrew to manage his condition, Saio started getting daily fevers and noticed strange lumps on his arms and upper legs. Ten months later, he has lost half his body weight and is too weak to get out of bed.

Until about a year ago, Sierra Leone had no facilities to treat and cure lymphoma. While it is remarkable that they finally do, the one place that offers treatment does not accept any form of medical insurance, and Saio will need to pay out of pocket for his treatment. On top of that, Saio's insurance recently told him he had reached his annual premium. They won’t pay for anything else, including Andrew's doctor visits and medication. Those of you who have been through cancer or have watched a loved one go through treatment know how heavy a burden it is physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially. Saio and his family have a tough fight ahead of them, and they need as much support as we can offer them. The least we can do is lift a bit of the financial burden by providing what money we have available so Saio and his family can focus on taking care of each other instead of fighting to make ends meet. Anything you can offer is appreciated.

For those who know Saio, you can help by writing stories of how Saio has impacted/helped you in your life in the comments below or in your posts as you share this.

Thank you for your generosity!