The Max Foundation

05/28/2026

Meet Steven Matthew, our Program Coordinator in Mumbai, India, since February 2025. Swipe to learn more about him and his role ➡️

💞 What is a special memory you have with patients?

I remember meeting a patient at a recent patient support group meeting who said, upon conclusion, “These meetings fill me with great joy as I get to personally meet the ones who have been my constant source of support."

📋 Describe a typical work week:

Completing calls with patients in our daily adherence program, addressing patient queries, making clinic visits, and collaborating with colleagues through teleconferences.

⚓️ If you could describe The Max Foundation in three words, what would they be?

Refuge, beacon, anchor

🗣️ What languages do you speak?

I can speak English, Hindi, Marathi, and Malayalam

🍕 What’s your favorite food?

I am unequivocally a “pizza” person.

😎 If you could have dinner with someone famous, who would it be?

Robin Williams as I enjoyed his movies: a man who knows how to balance humor and emotion would be nice to have a casual yet meaningful conversation with.

🎄 What is your favorite holiday and how do you celebrate it?

Christmas is my favorite holiday because it brings family and friends together for activities and long-awaited celebrations.

🌏️ If you could instantly master any skill, what would it be?

Master and comprehend all languages and dialects, helping me communicate effortlessly with people from diverse backgrounds and facilitating meaningful connections from people around the globe.

https://themaxfoundation.org/about/

05/27/2026

We're excited to share that Dr. Challe, Prof. Duduyemi, and the medical team at Connaught Hospital have approved the first person to our breast cancer treatment program in Sierra Leone.

And that first person is a man.

Breast cancer is so often spoken about as a women’s disease that this moment stopped us in our tracks. It challenged assumptions and reminded us why awareness and access matter for everyone.

This person was diagnosed and treated abroad and has now returned home to Sierra Leone. His enrollment marks an important step forward for access to care where options have long been limited.

This milestone is a reminder that breast cancer affects people of all genders and that access to diagnostics and treatment must reach everyone, everywhere.

Learn more about how we're expanding access to breast cancer care globally:
https://themaxfoundation.org/breastcancer/

05/22/2026

For Dr. V. P. Gangadharan at VPS Lakeshore Medical Centre-Kozhikode in India, medicine has always been about people: listening closely, walking alongside patients through uncertainty, and showing up with both skill and compassion.

In this conversation, he reflects on why he chose medicine, what stays with him after long days with patients, and even how he finds moments of rest and balance.

Grounded in mutual respect, partnerships like this are what make equitable cancer care possible. We are deeply grateful to stand alongside dedicated medical partners like Dr. Dr. V. P. Gangadharan in India, and around the world, who are deeply committed to care.

🎥 Watch the full interview to hear his story.

https://themaxfoundation.org/patient-services/

05/21/2026

Across our global team, cultural context shapes how we connect and show up for patients every day. From understanding stigma to honoring the role of family and community, our colleagues bring deep local insight that makes care more human and relevant.

For we’re spotlighting regional team members who work directly with the people receiving treatment and support. In their own words, they share how culture influences everything from building trust to designing programs that reflect real lives. The result?

✨ Stronger connection
✨ Greater representation
✨ More meaningful impact for patients and families around the world

Swipe through to meet some of the incredible people behind this work and see how local knowledge helps turn global standards into truly patient-centered care, every day. 🌍💛

https://themaxfoundation.org/stories/max-team-insights-on-cultural-diversity-day-2026/

05/20/2026

In soccer, a save is the goalkeeper’s moment-the split second that keeps the team on the field, in the game, in the championship. In cancer care, “saves” look different...such as the right support reaching a patient exactly when they need it.

We are proud to partner with BeOne Medicines in helping provide people living with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in Armenia, Ethiopia, and Nepal another option of targeted treatment.

05/18/2026

We’re honored to introduce you to Dr. Sonephet Saysouligno, a Pediatric Hemato-Oncologist and Head of the Hemato-Oncology Department at ໂຮງຫມໍເດັກ Children's Hospital in Vientiane, Laos.

With over 26 years of experience, Dr. Sonephet plays a key role in caring for children with complex blood disorders and cancers, supporting patients and families throughout their treatment journeys.

Swipe to learn more about his work and what continues to motivate him ➡️

🤝🏽 What does your work with patients mean to you?

I enjoy my work very much, especially caring for patients and supporting them through their treatment. Seeing them improve and regain their health is what matters most to me.

📆 From your experience, what challenges do patients face?

Patients with hematologic and oncologic conditions often require long-term care and close monitoring. Managing these conditions while maintaining daily life can be challenging for both patients and their families.

🫶🏽 Is there a patient moment that stayed with you?

The most meaningful moments are seeing patients smile again and return to a normal life, just like others.

👥 What does your work involve?

I care for and treat patients with a range of hematologic and oncologic diseases, including leukemia, thalassemia, and solid tumors, across both outpatient and inpatient settings.

🏋🏽 What do you enjoy outside of work?

When I am not working, I enjoy traveling, visiting new places, playing football, and singing.

🗣️ What languages do you speak?

Thai, English, and French

🍜 What is your favorite food?

Lao food

🙏🏾 We’re grateful to healthcare professionals like Dr. Sonephet who continue to care for children with cancer and support families through every stage of their journey.

https://themaxfoundation.org/patient-services/

05/15/2026

Cancer can impact far more than a person’s health. For many families, it affects education too.

Through Max Schooling, The Max Foundation supports students and families navigating cancer across Malaysia, India, Cambodia, and the Philippines. In 2025 alone, the program supported 360 students.

Behind every number is a personal story.

One beneficiary in Cambodia shared that there were times they thought they would not be able to complete high school because of their family’s financial situation while supporting a parent living with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Today, they are studying accounting at university in Phnom Penh and became the first person in their family to graduate high school.

Access to care should also mean access to hope and opportunities 💙

https://themaxfoundation.org/overcoming-barriers-to-access/

05/14/2026

For physicians like Dr. Mipsang Lama in Nepal, there was a time when the rare and devastating blood disorder of Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) could be identified but not truly treated.

Care meant repeated transfusions, temporary stabilization, and watching patients live with constant uncertainty.

Then, thanks to our partnership with Novartis and IPIG, access to treatment and training changed that!

Within weeks, patients began regaining strength. Conversations shifted from survival to possibility.

For Dr. Lama, it was more than a clinical change. It was the ability to finally offer hope alongside care.

🗨️He shared, "To those working in global health and rare disease access, your work has a deeply human impact. PNH may be rare, but the suffering it causes is real and significant. Today, for the first time, we can say with confidence that 'it is treatable.'”

You can read more about the impact access is having in Nepal here: https://themaxfoundation.org/stories/empowering-hope-a-physicians-journey-transforming-pnh-care/

05/13/2026

In Laos, access to care isn’t always straightforward.

It takes coordination, persistence, and people working behind the scenes to make it possible.

This is a glimpse into that journey for Khammueng.

📹️ Watch the full story unfold.

05/11/2026

CancerWorld has released a special edition marking 25 years of targeted therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)—a breakthrough that transformed an once life-limiting diagnosis into a manageable condition.🌟

This special issue brings together voices from across the global CML community including clinicians, researchers, patients, and advocates in different continents and contexts.🌍️🌏️

From stories of patients turning diagnosis into purpose, to reflections on delivering care in low-resource settings, every article offers a powerful reminder that science changes lives...but only when it reaches people.

📖 Dive into the stories
➡️ Repost or send the link to your family and friends
💫 Celebrate 25 years of progress and partnerships!

🔗https://cancerworld.net/cancerworld-the-max-foundation-special-issue-2026/

Explore 25 years of TKI-driven progress in CML and the global effort to expand access to lifesaving leukemia treatment and patient care worldwide for everyone!