Atuye mu nzu ifite amarangi y’ibara ry’iroza, akambara imyenda ifite iryo bara, kimwe n’inzara ze, ingofero n’utundi dukoresho ku buryo azwi nk’umugore w’ibara ry’iroza (The lady in Pink) kandi si iby’inshuro imwe ahubwo ni bwo buzima bwe bwa buri munsi.
Uyu mugore wavukiye mu Rwanda ariko akarererwa akanakurira hanze yarwo, yitwa Phillipa Kigubu-Decuir ndetse afite inkuru iteye igishyika mu rugendo rw’ubuzima bwe, aho yamaranye kanseri y’ibere imyaka 28 ariko akaza kuyirokoka.
Kigubu-Decuir utuye muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika, inkuru ye itangirira ku muvandimwe we, wari utuye i Lubumbashi muri Repubulika Iharanira Demokarasi ya Congo, aho uyu yaje gufatwa na kanseri y’ibere akaremba agahita ajyanwa vuba na bwangu kuvurirwa i Londres mu Bwongereza nubwo kanseri yari yamaze kumurenga ikagera mu mwijima we.
Uyu muvandimwe wa Phillipa urugendo rwe rw’ubuzima rwahise rurangirira aho, asiga umugabo n’abana babiri bakiri bato. Icyo gihe Phillipa ni we wasigaranye umutwaro wo gusubiza umurambo w’umuvandimwe we muri Congo, biba ngombwa ko yerekeza i Londres kumuzana, ibitari byoroshye na gato.
Mu ijwi ryuje ikiniga, iyo Phillipa avuga ku by’iyi nkuru, agira ati “byari ibihe bikomeye cyane, by’umwihariko mu gihe twari mu ndege. Umubiri we wari ahagenewe gutwarwa imizigo mu gihe njye nari nicaye ahagenewe abagenzi; kubitekerezaho biba bishobora kujyana intekerezo zawe kure.”
Phillipa yagejeje umubiri wa mwene nyina mu rugo, ariko byamusigiye intimba ikomeye. Nyuma yahise asubira muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika aho yatangiye kujya mu bikorwa byatumye asobanukirwa neza ibyerekeye kanseri y’ibere.
Ati “ubwo nasubiraga muri Amerika, numvaga buri wese avuga ibya kanseri y’ibere. Cyari igihe cyo kugira ibyo nyimenyaho. Ninjiye mu bikorwa byinshi cyane cyane ko nari narahungabanyijwe n’urupfu rw’umuvandimwe wanjye, mfite ubwoba bwinshi buvanze no kutamenya.”
Kuva ubwo yatangiye kwiga no kwihatira kumenya ibyerekeye iyo kanseri, akajya abijyanisha no kwisuzumisha maze nyuma aza kuvumbura ko ryari igeno rye. Mu 1994 yegereye muganga amubwira ko ari kumva hari ikitagenda neza.
Ati “kwari ukubyiyumvamo gusa kandi ni ko nkunda kubwira abagore hano mu Rwanda; uzi umubiri wawe kurusha undi uwo ari we wese. Mu gihe wumvise hari urugingo rw’umubiri rutamerewe neza, ugomba kwirukira kwa muganga ukamubwira uti ‘aha n’aha ndumva ntameze neza, wamfasha gutahura ikibazo gihari?”
Icyo gihe, Phillipa yasanganwe kanseri y’ibere ariko ikiri ku rwego rwo hasi, nubwo atari byo yari yiteze bitewe n’uko yakoraga imyitozo ngororangingo akanagerageza kwita ku buzima bwe mu mibereho ya buri munsi. Byerekana ko kanseri y’ibere utapfa kumenya igihe yakugereyemo, icyakora hari ibigiye bizwi bishobora kongera ibyago byo kuyirwara.
Byamubereye ibihe bigoye kuko ubwo yamenyaga ko afite iyi kanseri, u Rwanda na rwo rwari ruri guca mu bihe Bikomeye bya Jenoside yakorewe Abatutsi mu 1994.
Abigarukaho yagize ati “Narwaye mu 1994 mu gihe mu Rwanda harimo haba Jenoside yakorewe Abatutsi. Uko nabaga nicaye mu ntebe yanjye ndeba amashusho ateye agahinda, umuntu adashobora gusohoka, byanteraga kwibaza nti “niba bari guca mu bikomeye gutya, wenda nanjye nshobora kwihanganira ubu bubabare bwanjye.”
Bitandukanye n’umuvandimwe we, Phillipa we yagiye abasha kubona serivisi z’ubuvuzi n’ubundi bufasha yashoboraga gukenera mu bihe byakurikiyeho.
Avuga ko yatangiye gukorerwa ibyo gushiririza ahibasiwe na kanseri bizwi nka “chemotherapy”, kubagwa igice runaka iyo kanseri yagezemo kugeza ubwo yaje kubwirwa n’abaganga ko nta kimenyetso na kimwe cya kanseri agifite.
Ati “ubu ndi umuntu wamaranye kanseri y’ibere imyaka 28 nyuma ndayikira, ndabishimira Imana.”
Urugendo rw’ubuzima bwe ntibwarangiriye aho, kuko nyuma yo kumererwa neza, yahise afata umwanzuro wo kwigisha abandi bagore iby’iyi kanseri ahereye muri Amerika, ariko cyane ku bafite inkomoko muri Afurika.
Phillipa yegereye Susan G. Komen, umuryago mugari wigisha ibijyanye n’iyi kanseri muri Amerika, umuha amasomo maze nyuma agenda abona ubundi bufasha bumubashisha gufasha abandi barimo impunzi, abagore bafite inkomoko mu Rwanda, muri Congo, Ethiopia n’abandi bafite inkomoko muri Afurika.
Agaragaza ko yahise anagira igitekerezo cyo kubikorera mu Rwanda, anagishyira mu ngiro aho yasanze muri iki gihugu, abantu badafite amakuru kuri iyi kanseri y’ibere.
Ubwo yazaga mu Rwanda mu 2007, avuga ko yatunguwe no gusanga nta n’umuntu washoboraga guhingutsa iby’iyo kanseri mu kanwa ke kuko abandi bahurizaga ku kuvuga bati “ni indwara y’abazungu.”
Yaje kuhamenyanira n’abagera kuri 27 abamenyeshejwe n’undi wari warayirokotse, icyakora abo bagore bose uko ari 27 bari baragiye bacibwa ibere kubera kanseri.
N’ikiniga cyinshi, mu nkuru z’aba bagore 27, Phillipa hari iyo avugamo ababaye cyane ko atazibagirwa, aho harimo umugore wagiye kuvanwaho ibere rimwe, muganga akibeshya akavanaho irizima asigaho iryari rirwaye kanseri.
Ati “Namushyize ku ruhande mubwira ko iryo rirwaye na ryo rigomba kuvanwaho.” Uyu mugore ntiyabyumvise kuko yavugaga ko atiteguye kuzapfa nk’umugore utagira amabere akavuga ati “nzapfana n’ibere ryanjye.”
Kibugu-Decuir avuga ko icyo gihe yanzuye ko agomba kugaruka mu Rwanda kuko yari amaze kubona ko ikibazo cy’imyumvire no kutagira amakuru kuri iyi ndwara kiri ku rwego rwo hejuru.
Avuga ko abantu bari barishyizemo imyumvire igira iti “iyo ushatse ikintu urakibona.” Iyo yumvire ni yo yifuzaga kurandura.
Ati “nagiye muri Amerika nandikisha Umuryango ukora ubukangurambaga kuri kanseri y’ibere muri Afurika y’Uburasirazuba (BCIEA) mu 2008.”
Mu 2009 yahise agaruka mu Rwanda ayandikisha nk’umuryango utegamiye kuri Leta.
Nubwo atari intyoza mu kuvuga Ikinyarwanda, abantu babashaga kumwumva aho yabaga abwira abagore n’abakobwa ko kanseri y’ibere ari ikibazo kireba buri wese ari na ko abashishikariza kwikunda. Icyo gihe yahise atangiza imvugo igira iti “ikunde, imenye, isuzumishe”.
Ati “ni byiza kwikunda kuko iyo utikunze ntiwiyitaho, kandi nta muntu uba ukuzi kurusha uko wiyizi.”
Phillipa ntiyahwemye kubashishishikariza kwisuzumisha, nubwo kugeza none avuga ko bishoboka ko Abanyarwandakazi bakiri bato batarabasha gutahura icyo gukora n’uburyo bwo kugikora.
Uyu mugore wamenyekanye nk’uwihebeye ibara ry’iroza, avuga ko udakwiye guheranwa n’agahinda wibaza impamvu ibyo ari wowe byabayeho, ahubwo ukwiriye kumenya ko ari ibintu bibaho mu buzima kandi udakwiye guterera iyo.
Imyambarire ye ntigamije kurimba gusa cyangwa kuba ibara risobanuye ibya kanseri y’ibere, ahubwo abikora mu gushimangira imyizerere ye n’imbaraga zo gukomera ku bikorwa yiyemeje.
Kigubu-Decuir yakize kanseri y’ibere yari amaranye imyaka 25