Finding a woman who openly encourages her husband to remarry is almost unheard of, especially in a society where monogamy is deeply valued. Yet Dr. Doris Nyokangi, a Kenyan lecturer and cancer survivor, made an extraordinary and selfless choice—she allowed her husband to consider taking a second wife, but with one condition.
After being diagnosed with cancer, Dr. Nyokangi grew deeply concerned about her family’s future. Aware that her illness would limit her ability to care for her husband and children, she made a bold proposal: her husband could remarry to avoid loneliness, but only after their youngest daughter completed university.
“One evening, I told my husband: ‘Baba Watoto, when I am gone, please consider getting married again so that you do not suffer from loneliness,’” she recalls in her memoir When Health Slips Away: A Twelve-Year Journey with Lung Cancer. Her decision stemmed from the pain of watching her father live in isolation after her mother’s passing. Married since 1982 and blessed with four children, her greatest concern was the well-being of her family after she was gone.
Dr. Nyokangi’s battle with cancer began in 2012. While attending her sister’s burial in Kenya, she experienced severe pain and unusual sensations in her chest. Soon after, she traveled to South Africa for treatment, where she was later diagnosed with lung cancer after nearly a year of uncertainty.
The news was devastating. “Hearing this was physically and emotionally draining. The stories I had heard about chemotherapy only added to my fear and anxiety,” she admits. Between 2014 and 2018, she endured multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, which left her frail, pale, and convinced that her life was nearing its end.
But through faith and resilience, she pressed on. In 2018, when the cancer resurfaced, she underwent further treatment. Against all odds, her persistence paid off—today, she is cancer-free, with no evidence of disease.
Reflecting on her journey, Dr. Nyokangi acknowledges that denial initially delayed her healing. “I stayed too long in denial, and that’s why I even wrote my eulogy because I thought I was dying. Later, when I accepted my condition, I moved out of denial and started being positive,” she says.
Now a survivor, she has dedicated her life to cancer awareness and patient advocacy. Between 2015 and 2023, she served as a lecturer at Egerton University, but today she focuses on educating the public about how to support cancer patients, using her own life as a beacon of hope.
Her story is one of rare courage—an inspiring blend of sacrifice, resilience, and unconditional love.
