No situation is permanent and indeed where there is a will, there is a way. Having come from a humble background, Dr. Catherine Nyongesa has braved the waves to become the first Radiation Oncologist in Kenya and now co-founder, Texas Cancer Center.
“I carry many huts. I am an entrepreneur, a wife and a doctor. I currently run Texas Cancer Center alongside my husband Samson Watta and I am also in public service as the Head of Cancer unit at Kenyatta National hospital,” she says
Education and Childhood
The great Doctor who was born in Bungoma County to teenage parents says that being a first born, she had to step up early in life to help her parents raise her nine siblings.
All through her education, Dr. Catherine was a bright student who was admired by many. And just like any other girl coming from a humble background, she lacked basic amenities like sanitary towels and even food.
“You will be surprised that at form six when I lacked school fees, my classmates saved their pocket money and contributed to my deficit,” she notes
Doctor Nyongesa acknowledges the influence of her mother in her success journey as she notes, “she used to encourage me to work hard to avoid going through what she went through as she was fully dependent on my dad.”
Doctor Nyongesa’s mum became pregnant at class five and during this time, her dad was in form two. They both had to drop out of school to take care of her.
“You can imagine how overwhelming life for teenage parents can be. They stuck together regardless, to date,” Nyongesa notes
Being a firstborn also inspired her to do better for she was the mirror for her siblings. On this, she didn’t disappoint because as aforementioned, she always brought home good grades, something that challenged her siblings to do better.
The trendsetter eventually got enrolled into the Nairobi University and after completion of her degree, she was deployed to Kakamega County where she worked at Kakamega Provincial Hospital.
“I worked in Kakamega for some time, before I went back to Nairobi for my masters. I was torn between Pediatrics and Oncology,” she notes
Oncology is the branch of medicine concerned with tumors including the study of their development, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. An Oncologist is therefore a Doctor or scientist who specializes in Oncology.
Her Journey to becoming an Oncologist
Her journey into Oncology started during her medical year at Nairobi University when her sister was diagnosed with cancer. The great doc says that she looked for an oncologist in vain and that inspired her to pursue Radiation Oncology.
“One of my professors at Nairobi University was an oncologist, so when I cleared my undergraduate degree, he advised me to go into the field of oncology and that is how I became the first female radiation oncologist in Kenya,” she states
During the time when Doctor Nyongesa was getting into the field, there were very few doctors and that was a bit scary for her but she says she is happy she took up the challenge.
At present, a good number of women have ventured into the field and she is glad to have been the trend setter and also a mentor to quite a number of them.
Journey into Entrepreneurship – Texas Cancer Center
Further down the line, Dr. Nyongesa has seen cancer affect several people close to her – her father in law and sister in law. The scarcity of cancer caregivers pushed her to launch Texas Cancer Center.
“There was a time when we could wait for almost two years to get any cancer care like chemotherapy or radiotherapy. I can proudly say that, Texas Cancer Center has come in handy and played a part in bridging the obvious gap,” Nyongesa states
The name Texas Cancer Center as Dr. Catherine notes is inspired by the biggest cancer center in the world, The MD Anderson, which is located in Texas.
“You always need a role model in life. That is your benchmark. I am encouraged and inspired that one day, Texas Cancer Center will become the biggest cancer center in the world,” the radiation oncologist says
According to Nyongesa, the other inspiration for the Texas Cancer Center name was that, Dr. Watta, a co-director of the cancer center lives in Texas. Also, Dr. Nyongesa’s last born daughter was born in Texas.
Just like any other venture, the entrepreneurship journey has not been easy for Dr. Nyongesa. According to her, some patients lack finances and insurance cover for treatment.
“Despite the challenges, I don’t regret starting this challenge. Every day is a new challenge that I have to face and I have remained consistent. I always put my best foot forward and haven’t allowed challenges to define my success journey,” she notes
In her own words, challenges help us grow into better people and we therefore have to endeavor to overcome them in order to build a better Kenya and Africa.
The radiation oncologist’s success story lies in the healing of her patients or when they get better. “There are some who call ten years later to thank me for treating them or their family member,” she says
As a doctor, she believes in respecting others – whether big or small. She also believes that as a doctor, she has to be available whenever she is needed.
“You should also always be in the right frame of mind to perform your duty, show leadership abilities, be dependable and commit to care for your patients.” She concludes
