Enkhtuya used to frequent the emergency room. There, they treated her kidney and gall stones, but the pain in her abdomen never completely went away. Then in 2011, a social worker at another local nonprofit referred her to Arlington Free Clinic where she finally found the medical home that she so desperately needed. Shortly after becoming a patient at AFC, she was diagnosed with a severe form of stomach cancer and the prognosis wasn’t good. Luckily, the skilled oncologists at Virginia Cancer Specialists – who provide pro bono care to every AFC patient diagnosed with cancer – were able to treat Enkhtuya. Now, she is happy and healthy and still comes to Arlington Free Clinic for physical therapy to help with the numbness from chemotherapy and to get referrals for regular CAT-scans at Northern Virginia Radiology Consultants.
We chatted with Enkhtuya while she was at the Clinic for one of her PT appointments. She discussed briefly her experience at AFC and her gratitude for the excellent treatment she was — and still is — able to receive. But we didn’t talk about cancer for long. Enkhtuya pulled out photos of her children and her artwork, and was excited to share with us her personal story – who she is and what she loves – not the story of her disease.
Enkhtuya is a Thangka style painter – one of the few women in the world who have mastered this Mongolian-Tibetan spiritual art form. She studied art in her country and has worked as a fine arts teacher at the Mongolian School, an organization where young Mongolian-Americans can go to learn about their language and culture, since 2009. She annually donates paintings to the Mongolian American Cultural Association to benefit humanitarian causes.
Enkhtuya’s paintings are quite large and difficult to transport, so we had the privilege of visiting Enkhtuya and her two young daughters at their home in Arlington to view her artwork. Her remarkable talent is immediately evident. Her living room is decorated with her work, both Thangka and otherwise, and it is beautiful. We took pictures and chatted with her daughters, one of whom is a budding artist as well! As we left, we thanked Enkhtuya for sharing her work with us.
The care Enkhtuya was able to receive through AFC means that today she remains cancer free. But more importantly, it means that she is able to continue her painting, to care for her children, and to share what she loves with her community.
Story from our 2016 Spring Newsletter. Read more about AFC’s commitment to ethical storytelling here.