Early morning… as usual Maryam put on heavy make-up to hide the color of her skin, a wig to hide her balding head, and baggy clothes to hide her changing body. Despite these efforts, many people asked her the same questions: “Are you tired? Are you sick?”For two full months, Maryam concealed her illness from everybody. “I was both scared and angry,” she says. “I felt that being a woman meant having a beautiful and perfect body, and I was no longer as I was before. My hair was falling away little by little, my nails and my skin were changing color, and the mark of a wound lingered on my body. I wanted to hide these not-so-small changes from everybody. I either stayed away from public gatherings or, if had to go to public places, I spent hours in front of the mirror putting on make-up.”
Maryam is 31. She found out that she had breast cancer only a few months ago.
Maryam and her husband immigrated to the US three years ago. A few months after arriving in America she found a job. A few months after that, she started college. She promised herself that she would get her degree in three or four years so that she could get a job in her chosen profession, but when she found a tumor in her breast, all her plans fell apart. “When at first I discovered the tumor I did a little research about breast cancer,” she says, “I found out that generally, it’s people over 40 who develop this type of cancer. I also found out that genetics plays a role, and we don’t have anybody in our family who has suffered from it.”
In Iran, Maryam studied law. Like a good lawyer, she talks clearly and logically. And cancer has taught her other things as well. “In Iran I was in love with literature but my father wanted me to study law,” she says. “I was close to my father and I always wanted his approval, so I studied law. In the US, before my illness, I could not decide whether I should continue with law or pursue other fields of study. When I came face to face with death, I learned that I must not choose something that I do not want. I promised myself to study English literature, and I hope that someday I will become a good writer.”
Maybe one day Maryam will write a bestseller about her fight with cancer.
Right now, Maryam and her husband are in a critical financial situation. More than $30,000 in debt, they barely have money for food and all the other necessities for daily living plus Maryam’s continued treatments.
The Center for Health and Human Rights (A free clinic serving the needs of vulnerable populations) founded by Dr. Kavian Milani has started a campaign to help support Maryam as she goes through this very challenging period in her life.
Over $30,000 raised!