CALEDONIA — A Caledonia woman is leaning on her faith and her community as she seeks a high-cost cancer treatment that could be her last hope in combating the disease.
Martha Kinyonga, a missionary, wife and mother of four, was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer at age 38.
"When they found the huge mass in the colon, I was shocked. I was not thinking that, was not thinking that at all," Kinyonga said.
Her cancer has since metastasized to other organs and is considered incurable.
Watch: Caledonia woman leans on faith, community support as she seeks cancer treatment
After a recent scan showed the extent of the cancer's spread, her local doctors recommended more chemotherapy, but Kinyonga wanted a second opinion.
"Because it is spreading and aggressive," Kinyonga said.
Kinyonga learned about a clinic in Arizona called Envita through a man who visited her church and had undergone treatment there himself.
"So the fact that he was there, you know, is divine," Kinyonga said.
Now her church is rallying support as she pursues treatment at the Arizona facility. The treatment, which begins this month, is expected to cost about $300,000 out of pocket.
Kinyonga said that's a number only God can provide.
"God, you're going to have to come through, and I know you will," Kinyonga said.
Martha's friend, Rebekah Nelson, reached out to share Martha's story and help raise awareness of her situation. Martha says that is characteristic of the family nature of her church community.
"We are honestly there for one another," Kinyonga said. "We're bearing each other's burdens."
A GoFundMe campaign is one way her community is helping her gather funds for the expensive treatment.
"We are grateful just to see our church, our community, just rallying around us," Martha's husband Mshama Kinyonga said. "For us, we feel loved."
For Martha Kinyonga, everyone involved in the process, including doctors, friends, and supporters, are all part of God's plan.
"God always comes through with his timing, and I'm just looking forward to how he's going to come through," Kinyonga said.
She's hoping four months of care could turn into 40 more years of life.
"Every day that I'm here, to be with my family, to be an influence, is a gift from God," she said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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