Holds our Monthly Feature and Monthly Feature data
One of the key principles in hospice and palliative care is: “We cannot do EVERYTHING for the patient, but we can always do SOMETHING!”
In September 2018, while caring for a man with terminal prostate cancer in our MMM Faraja Hospice and Palliative Care Programme, Singida, Tanzania, his family informed us about a neighbour who had been bedridden for a long time. They were unsure of what was wrong with her but believed she needed help. After confirming with the woman, they told us, “Yes, she would appreciate it if you visited her.”
When we first visited, we found Anna, a woman in her mid-forties, lying in bed, completely paralysed, barely able to lift her fingers enough to shake my hand. Upon speaking with her, we learned that Anna was a single mother with two adult sons. She had been living with AIDS for several years, but for the past two years, she had been bedridden. She believed the side effects of her antiretroviral (ARV) medications had caused her condition. Despite expressing this concern to the hospital staff when she collected her medications, they had dismissed her. As Anna’s condition worsened, she had become more and more disabled, unable to move or care for herself.
When I examined Anna, I found her arms and legs stiff and paralysed, causing her great pain. It seemed obvious that the ARVs were causing these symptoms. To advocate for her care, I took her AIDS Registration Card to the Care and Treatment Centre (CTC) at the hospital where she received her medications. After speaking with the Doctor in Charge, she agreed with my diagnosis and promptly changed Anna’s medication regimen.
Our palliative care team began visiting Anna multiple times a week, getting to know her and building trust. At first, Anna had a friend who helped collect her ARVs and cooked for her. However, an alcoholic relative also played a role in her caregiving, sometimes neglecting Anna. She was entirely dependent on others.
It wasn’t easy to care for Anna, as even the slightest movement caused her extreme pain, and she would scream. We brought pain medication, incontinent pads, and gloves to ease her daily struggles, but the most important thing we offered was something much more intangible: our presence and a willingness to listen. Anna, who had once worked as a hair stylist and built her own home, had lost her source of income and was struggling with her situation. In her bedroom, she had a display of shoes — mostly high-heeled, which she longed to wear again. I remember telling her, “Anna, one day you’ll wear those shoes again. Maybe not the high heels, but the others, YES.” She looked at me sceptically, saying, “No way.” I insisted, “You WILL, if you make up your mind to work at it, do the exercises we are showing you, and pray to God for strength and patience.”
Though she didn’t believe me at first, we repeated this encouragement during each visit, like a mantra. It took nearly a year to see substantial progress. In the meantime, Anna contracted pneumonia and asthma, and I remember having to carry her out of her house with help from our driver. She was in so much pain from the movement that I feared she wouldn’t survive the trip to the hospital. Fortunately, she did, and after a three-week stay, her attitude became more positive.
During this time, we discovered that her alcoholic sister, who was supposed to be helping Anna, was neglecting her — feeding her only once a day and rarely changing her clothes or bed linen. Anna was unable to care for herself in any way. When she hired an elderly lady to help with her physiotherapy, we began to see real improvement, though Anna often complained that the woman was “fierce” and very strict. Despite her initial resistance, the physiotherapy worked. After two months, though she could no longer afford to hire the woman, Anna had gained enough strength to continue her exercises independently.
Fourteen months after we first began caring for Anna, she could sit up, turn in bed, lift 1.5kg weights with each arm, and even pull herself to the side of the bed and stand holding onto the door. Though still disabled, Anna was immensely grateful for the progress she had made. Her faith in God, her perseverance, and our team’s continued support had transformed her.
What We Learned from Anna: Without palliative care, Anna would likely have passed away soon after we met her. Through our advocacy for a change in her ARVs and our dedication to psychological support, we were able to prevent further deterioration. We realised how crucial it is to listen to the patient’s concerns and provide consistent encouragement. Anna’s faith in God became a key pillar of her recovery, and her spiritual strength carried her through many challenges. Her social support, while imperfect, also played a role, especially once we helped her navigate a difficult family situation. But most importantly, Anna’s story reinforced the palliative care mantra: NEVER GIVE UP!
Update on Anna Six Months Later: Anna’s recovery continued with its ups and downs. She discovered that her sister, who had neglected her, had expected Anna to die in order to inherit her house. Fortunately, by this point, Anna had regained enough strength to contact the village leaders, who removed her sister from the home. With Faraja’s help, Anna received food and other necessities for a short time. She had even begun using a plastic chair as a walker to move around her house and walk to her neighbours. One day, when we brought her ARVs, she surprised us: “Watch me!” she said. She stood up and walked across the room using a cane. She was overjoyed and grateful to God and to us for all the improvements.
After Another Three Months: By this point, Anna had abandoned the chair and started using a walking stick instead. She could even walk a few steps without assistance. One of her sons had found a job, and he had provided her home with electricity, making life a bit easier.
Six Years After Meeting Anna: Today, Anna is walking and living independently. She has a small business, selling clothing and household items around her neighbourhood. She is able to provide for herself and no longer depends on others for financial support. Anna’s journey from being nearly completely paralysed and dependent to becoming an independent woman with a thriving small business is a testament to her strength, perseverance, and the power of palliative care.
What We Learned from Anna:
Palliative care operates on the principle, “We can’t do everything, but we can always do something.” Those “somethings” have built up over time into significant success for Anna. Through ongoing support and encouragement, we helped her achieve independence. From encouraging her through painful exercises to listening to her concerns and advocating for her medication, each small action contributed to her transformation. This journey, while not yet finished, has shown us the profound difference that palliative care can make. Anna now walks, works, and is independent once more —and for that, we are all deeply grateful.
We are very sorry to announce the death of one of our MMM Associates, Mary Bradley, on 11 August as a result of injuries sustained in a fall. She would have been 88 this November.
Mary was an active member of St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, Falmouth and was well known in the Catholic and ecumenical communities across Cornwall and beyond, serving on the Falmouth Fair Trade Committee and in Falmouth and Penryn Churches Together for which she organised a monthly Justice and Peace Action Group.
She was also a lay associate of the Irish Medical Missionaries of Mary, and formerly worked in several countries including Nigeria and Liberia as a lay missionary nurse tutor. A warm and supportive friend to very many people, she will be greatly missed.
In early May we held our first “Flowers and Fun Fest” in Drogheda.
It was a very enjoyable day at the fair, with vendors selling their wares, talks on various horticultural issues – seeding, composting, care of the environment as well as a place for a great cup of coffee, ice cream and burgers. We were grateful that the Irish weather was pleasant (no rain!) and we had both indoor and outdoor activities.
Prepared by Grace Shayo and Moira Brehony.
The feast of the Visitation of our Lady to her cousin Elizabeth was a very special day for MMM associates in Tanzania as we celebrated our silver jubilee.
In the year 2000 nine women and one man made their first one-year covenant as associates. Since then, five of our associates have gone to their eternal reward and all of them were ex staff of Dareda Hospital where MMM sisters managed and trained people for years. May they rest in peace.
Two associates were unable to attend the celebration due to ill health, while three associates Francesca Maselle, Moira and Eamonn Brehony celebrated with the MMM community in Nangwa. Sisters from Ngaramtoni and Mangua communities joined us too.
It was a truly joyful occasion which began with Mass in the Sacred Heart Parish church Nangwa with celebrant Rev Fr. Emmanuel Mallya a Pallotine father who preached a very meaningful sermon. Many people from the local community joined in the service.
At the beginning of the Mass, the three jubilarians were called forward to renew their covenants and made a commitment for a further three years. This was followed by two associates who were renewing their covenants for one year and four for three years. Fourteen associates were present at the celebration and one associate who is in orientation.
The Nangwa church choir sung the Mass while eight children performed beautiful liturgical dancing. Two choir members led us in the congregation in the singing of the Magnificat in Swahili and it was truly joyous and wonderful occasion.
Many MMM sisters joined us for this celebration from Ngaramtoni, Mangua and Nangwa communities including our mentors Sr. Marian Scena and Protagia Slaa. Sr. Natalia Mashalo was our MC and she gave a short briefing of the associate movement in Tanzania from the early days when Srs. Theresia Ladislaus and Marcellina McCarthy introduced the associate movement to Tanzania.
The celebrations continued at the MMM convent grounds at Nangwa. The children were treated to juice and biscuits while the young girls who are Children of Mary dressed in blue danced and sang and entertained us under the direction of Sr. Sekunda Sekundi Kimaria. People from the local community joined us too including a special group of wazee (elderly).
We all shared a special meal prepared by the local community under the supervision of associate Theresa Jacob.
The jubilarians were presented with gifts of specially printed mugs, traditional dress and rosary beads. As is traditional in Tanzania we had a ‘shika kono’ whereby all who are present come forward shake your hand and give a little donation which was then given to the associate fund. Two beautiful cakes specially decorated were cut and enjoyed by everyone present.
The associates thank Sr. Maria Borda and the Nangwa community for their warm welcome and amazing hospitality for everyone.
By Sr Goretti Nalumaga, MMM
In Uganda, near the shores of Lake Victoria, lies Katoogo, a swampy, impoverished neighbourhood where provisional houses are often swallowed by floodwaters during the rainy season. Most dwellers in Katoogo are individuals who grew up on the streets or migrated there seeking cheaper living options, often unaware of their ancestral roots. The submerged pathways force residents including volunteers and visitors alike to wear long boots just to reach those in need. Two heavy rain seasons make access impossible, prompting us to call residents to meet us in safer locations.
These photographs capture the challenging environment we visit, the waterlogged areas where our vulnerable beneficiaries live. You can see residents including volunteers carefully navigating the flooded paths, risking slips and falls, to reach families in desperate need. Many homes have been compromised by the rising waters, facing daily dangers, from the risk of their houses collapsing to health hazards caused by unsanitary conditions. This forces residents, including children, to squat in unsafe conditions with neighbours. Despite the hardships, risk of house collapse and health hazards, they remain resilient, trusting that, with divine guidance, better days will come.
It follows me in moving light
A silent friend
It stretches along with the rising sun
And shrinks away when the day is done.
It dances when I jump with glee
It copies every part of me
Though it is always by my side
It never speaks but it cannot hide
At dusk it blends with the evening’s hue
A shade of black
But still I know when night is through
My shadow waits to walk anew.
Sr. Berna Nakimuli, MMM
Sr Liana de Jesus, MMM, Brazil
Eidilair is deeply grateful for the help she received from MMM. How beautiful it would be if everyone who received assistance displayed such humility to express their thanks! I see her as a figure in the passage of people from Egypt to the Promised Land; she has suffered her whole life, but her faith in God has always remained strong. She waits for a day of transformation and resurrection, when she will be completely healed. The physical healing might not have happened, but the inner peace will bring her to a healing place to be.
Even amid pain and suffering, her closeness to God perseveres. Remarkably, she never stopped smiling, even in her most challenging times. Eidilair dos Santos is a single mother. She is in her mid-40s, she has suffered from diabetes since she was 30 years old and epilepsy since childhood. She lost her job when they discovered that she had epilepsy and diabetes. After this sickness, she has lost one leg and her vision.
Eidilair’s life was so miserable that the MMM Sisters started helping her with food and medication. At the end of last year, 2024, she was able to get her (INSS pension) permission like a sick person, and she informed the MMM Sisters that she doesn’t need the help anymore, that she and her daughter now will be able to survive with this salary from the government. She is admitted to the hospital, she needs to get her second leg amputated and now all of her teeth have come out because of diabetes.
This woman represents many people who are in the same situation as her and do not have anywhere to go to seek help. If not for someone like the MMM Sisters, who follow up with some financial assistance with the generosity from our donors, their suffering would be even more severe, I see her story inspiring in terms of transparency, together with being accountable for what she has received. Her faith in God is tremendously strong. In fact, it is what gives her strength and determination. She also has deep trust in God that her life will be transformed according to His plan for her life.
The person who trusts and believes in God, like Eidilair, even in the pain and suffering, continues to be close to God. She always has a smile on her face despite her constant pain.
Dear Reader,
Warm greetings from Nairobi from where we struggle ‘day and night’ and try to alleviate suffering in the best way possible. At times it’s very overpowering but we still carry on as best we can. You have often been at our side and great things have been done through your tremendous generosity, especially in Education which continues to transform lives.
Let me tell you the stories of two young people I met recently and how your support has changed their lives.
Victor is a teenager I met two weeks ago; he is/was due to sit his Kenya Certificate Secondary Education (KCSE). He has only attended school erratically, the reason being that his mother works by scavenging on the largest dump site in Nairobi. When she can make 500 Kenyan Shillings which is the equvilant of Euro 3.70. He takes it to school where he is allowed in for a week to ten days. What I find most sad is that Victor is a B+ or an A student, but I’ve ensured that at least he can sit his Form/4, by paying the balance of school fees up to the exam in November. We will follow up on him and see if we can put him on a better ‘footing’ in life.
Daniel came into our office about two weeks ago also. This young man is a ‘high thigh’ amputee. He has struggled with major injury for more than two years now. He had come off a local transport (matatu) and was hit by a high-speed motorcycle. It tossed him into the ditch, and he landed in a drain – rather dank due to the presence of open sewage and the driver sped off. He lay there for some hours in & out of consciousness. Finally, a good Samaritan took him to the national referral hospital where he lay there most of the night unattended. In this condition it was understandable that he required an amputation.
Afterwards he went back to his rural family upcountry but there was nothing in that remote area to assist him. Finally, he returned to a friend in Nairobi slums, but it was not easy, and he felt a burden to a childhood friend who lived in a subsistence way also. Struggling with his crutches someone told him that he should try going around to churches as he might stumble on some form of charity. Well, it turned out that he arrived at the office where Mutuku and I were engaged in a planning meeting for the ten Victim/Survivors who came to our office the previous evening (at 4.30pm), ‘never rains but it pours’
Happily, life has changed for him, and he believes that his prospects are good. In consultation with him we set him up with a food trolley business. He sells cooked sausages and hard-boiled eggs which are kept hot with a small charcoal grill at the bottom. We got him a chair and umbrella as he will need to sit and also have shade from the burning sun. We have put him on the list of the Association of Physically Disabled of Kenya (APDK) to be measured and supplied with a prosthesis. He has found a niche close to the CBD where he can leave his trolley secured with a strong padlock. We are very confident that he will do well and there is no reason why he cannot have a family of his own in the future.
In John 14:27, Jesus tells us: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
This peace is a healing gift, but we must first receive it ourselves before we can pass it on to others. Healing is not a one-time act; it is a continuous journey, and on that journey, we find the capacity to heal others.
There are two kinds of people in this world: the patients and the healers. Yet, the healers cannot truly heal if they themselves remain wounded. We can only share what we possess—our experience, strength, and hope. For many of us who struggle, whether with addiction or other burdens, prayer has been a source of relief and renewal. But more than that, it reveals a deeper truth: healing is not only a personal responsibility but a collective one. We must “carry the message,” not just for others but for our own growth.
Only by tending to our wounds can we guide someone else down the path we’ve travelled. If we focus only on others—their crises, their struggles—without attending to our own healing, our capacity to help is limited. The challenges we face are not obstacles; they are our greatest teachers.
Today’s world is filled with immense adversity: poverty, famine, grief, broken relationships, chronic illness, financial struggles, and the weight of uncertainty. These hardships are universal, yet how we choose to respond to them defines the healing we bring into the world. The more we accept healing for ourselves, the more we contribute to the healing of the world.
For me, as Josephine, I find this healing in prayer, faith in God, and sharing my journey with others. As Hebrews 11:6 reminds us, “He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Healing comes when we seek it earnestly, and when we allow ourselves to be healed, we become living examples for others. In today’s world, many are sinking into despair. Depression is widespread, and isolation deepens. We need each other more than ever. By lifting others up and encouraging them to continue despite the weight of the world, we become enablers of hope.
We do not heal alone; we heal together. When we rise, we help others rise as well. The only way to truly heal is to first allow ourselves to be healed.
It all began in July 2021. It was set up as a home based and mobile outreach clinic working in 5 Local Government Areas, providing preventative, curative and rehabilitative care, elderly care, palliative care, maternal and child health, health education and awareness raising through sensitization. It has a strong collaboration with MOH, local government, community leaders and education boards. The Hospital has a geographical link with Teaching Hospital and University of Benin. As such, 40% of the local population is made up from these 2 institutions (students, academics, medical and paramedical staff). The remaining 60% of people are socioeconomically vulnerable, they lack affordable access to health services; of these 10% are children under 5 yrs, 12% are young people vulnerable to rape and abuse, 22% are women of childbearing age.
Uselu is a densely-populated neighborhood of Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Benin City is the capital and largest city of Edo State, southern Nigeria. It is the fourth-largest city in Nigeria according to the 2006 census, after Lagos, Kano, and Ibadan. Benin City is the centre of Nigeria’s rubber industry, and oil production is also a significant industry. The indigenous people of Benin City are the Edo people (the Benin People), and they speak the Edo language or Bini Language. The people of the city have one of the richest dress cultures on the African continent and are known for their beads (the beads stand for royalty and usually stand out during the traditional marriage of the Benin people), body marks, bangles, anklets, raffia work. They survive on subsistence farming of yam, plantain and cassava. In 2022, the population of Edo State was 4,777,000.
The main focus of our work
The Mother Mary Martin Hospital is a secondary Health Care facility that runs general outpatient, maternal and child welfare clinics which aim at providing quality and affordable health care to the general population as well as ensuring that pregnant women go into labour and deliver their babies safely. The Hospital offers holistic health care through preventive and curative services facilitating the people to be more health conscious and so, make informed decisions about their health. We have a robust yearly medical outreach plan for our different catchment areas where we create awareness about medical conditions like Hypertension and Diabetes. During these outreach programmes in the rural communities, women, children, the poor, the marginalized and people with disabilities avail of our waiver scheme on the medical screening tests/treatment for Malaria, Diabetes, Blood Pressure and Weight checks.
Children are admitted in an open ward in the company of their attendants. The ward is made up of 3 paediatric cots with rails to prevent the children from falling off the cot and sustaining injuries. The cots are arranged in a way that babies receiving care do not come in contact with each other. The newborn unit also has a separate ward for babies delivered outside the Facility to prevent cross infection. There is a Phototherapy machine, Continuous positive airway pressure machine (CPAP) Oxygen supply etc. The maternity area has three open wards and 1 private room with a total of 9 beds. The wards accommodate women in labour, post-natal, sick antenatal and other obstetric and gynaecological cases. The beds are spaced very well for easy movement and to prevent hospital acquired infections. There is constant electricity and water supply in the hospital and maternity area which is generated from solar energy, Power Holding Company (the national grid) and a standby generator. There is constant effort to maintain the buildings, make the wards hospitable and keep patients safe while admitted. There are separate wards for male and female patients for proper patient management. Each employee signs the staff code of conduct which spells out all that is expected for everyone for the maintenance of a safe environment. Generally, there are 24 hours staff supervision and monitoring of care administered to patients.
Some vulnerable adults are attended to in their homes and familiar environment during home- based care and visitations. Their family members are trained and guided on the needed care and support.
FUTURE PLANS
Procurement of X-ray machine
Registering with NHIS
Continuous capacity updating through serial training for personnel.
Recruitment of additional staff (5 at least)
Commencement of weekend laboratory services
