Did you know that October is Breast Cancer awareness month? You and I live with so many blessings – so many choices – and we have these blessings because people before us fought for these privileges (rights-as some would say). Today I want to ask each of you to claim this privilege and get a mammogram done – or get your spouse, mother, auntie, and daughter to get it done. You see, the thing about breast cancer is this – the earlier we detect – the greater the chances of survival. People before us and our close ones now, believe that each of us is beautiful and precious – worthy of making this choice.

I live in a country where that choice is not available to the ordinary woman of Cambodia. Like us, they also worry about their health issues- the most personal ones such as breast cancer are causes of great shame- the thought is that the woman must be bad – somehow she deserves this affliction. This is no truer than it is for any of us. I am making a personal plea that you love yourself enough to have a mammogram and that you may love a woman here enough to make her chances of a mammogram possible by donating to our women’s hospital Nokor Tep. Today, you and I have the opportunity to be pioneers for the millions of women in Cambodia.

So what is our progress at the hospital– well we have finished pouring our fifth floor – the floor that was to be our roof. Phavi, Sieng and I have had some discussions about this – some hard discussions. The talks revolve about the future – if we have 5 floors we will have the space for growth over the next 10 years but if the 5th floor becomes a roof – then we probably need to add to the building in 4 years time – at great expense and to the detriment of our patients. We made a decision on building a roof pver the 5th floor but our decision is dependent on donations coming in – enough not just for the roof but finishing the inside of the building.  A bold vision – a vision we will hold on to for two more months to see if the funds will come in – otherwise the 5th floor will be our roof.

We have an end goal in mind – we would like to have a soft opening of Nokor Tep Women’s Hospital in March of 2017. Again this is completely dependent on funds coming in but we have great faith that these will come.

The past two months our medical advisors and us have met every Wednesday night for three hours – laying out the patient flow and spaces within the hospital. I am so proud of our vision – a safe haven for women where they will be treated with dignity and respect.

We are developing an equipment list –I can tell you that there is now available equipment that would make diagnosis and treatment efficient and effective while maintaining the dignity of women – personally - I get so excited about what we will be able to do – that sometimes I feel I can’t wait another day. It’s like waiting for a Christmas present – faith in getting one – but patience in having to wait until the right time.  ( This list will be available on our web site by end of October)

So I thought we should have a Christmas/Holiday Season Campaign – it’s about asking each of you to donate the value of one gift that you will buy this season and donate it to Nokor Tep Women’s Hospital. On our web site we have Christmas Trees that are dark – with each donation let us know and we will light up your tree. I ask that you have fun with this – perhaps a dinner party where you share our story and ask each person to donate whatever they would like – OR- a beach or ski party with the theme being the same – then we will put your group name under the tree you have lit up.  1000 trees is our goal.