Palliative Care for post cancer women in Albania

When a woman finishes breast cancer treatment in Albania, the medical system often considers her journey complete. But for many of these women, the hardest part is just beginning. Lymphedema, a chronic swelling of the arm, hand, or chest caused by damage to the lymphatic system during surgery or radiation, can last a lifetime. It limits movement, causes pain, and quietly strips away dignity at a time when these women are already carrying enormous weight.

At ABC Health Foundation's Palliative Care Center in Tirana, we have been walking alongside these women since 2019, providing free lymphedema treatment to over 70 patients every month.

Thanks to the generous support of our first donors on GlobalGiving, we have been able to fund 8 free lymphedema treatment sessions for vulnerable women who could not otherwise afford care. Each session lasts approximately 90 minutes and is provided by our team of physical therapists, nurses, doctors, and a psychologist. That time is never just clinical. Our team builds real relationships with these patients listening to their lives, understanding their struggles at home and within their families, and offering the kind of sustained, compassionate presence that post-cancer care in Albania rarely includes. For many of these women, feeling seen and cared for is itself part of the healing.

These 8 sessions represent the beginning of something we hope to grow significantly. Our goal of $5,000 would allow us to provide consistent, ongoing treatment to women who need it most women for whom a weekly 90-minute session is not a luxury, but a lifeline. If you know someone who might share our vision for dignified, whole-person care for post-cancer women in Albania, we would be grateful if you passed this project along. Every contribution, at any level, directly translates into treatment for a real patient in our center.

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