A Kenyan woman who abandoned her overseas employment dream to care for her cancer-stricken mother has suffered a heartbreaking loss weeks after returning home from Saudi Arabia.
Yvonne Atieno had travelled to Saudi Arabia in October 2024 with hopes of transforming her family’s fortunes.
She wanted to work hard, build a decent home and give her mother and siblings a better life.
Yvonne Abandoned Saudi Arabia
Through sacrifice and determination, she built a family home that was about 90% complete. However, just when she was looking forward to returning home after completing her employment contract, an unexpected phone call changed everything.
In July 2026, Yvonne learnt that her 52-year-old mother, Rose Akinyi Onyango, was seriously ill, having been diagnosed with stage-four cancer involving rectal polyps.
She was initially admitted to Siaya County Referral Hospital before being transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital on July 15, 2026.
With two months remaining on her employment contract, Yvonne could no longer bear the thought of working thousands of kilometres away while her mother battled the disease.
Rose Dies After Cancer Battle
In August 2026, she pleaded with her employer to allow her to return home.She immediately began using her savings to finance her mother’s treatment, sacrificing the plans she had made for her future abroad.
After approximately three months in hospital, Rose was discharged on November 2, 2026.
However, the family has now been plunged into mourning following her death, weeks after Yvonne made the difficult decision to return home and care for her.
Rose had been bedridden, extremely weak and unable to perform basic activities independently.
Yvonne Spent Savings on Mother
She depended on Yvonne for her daily care, while her daughter struggled to provide medication, adult diapers, medical waste bags and other essential supplies after exhausting her savings on treatment.
The family had appealed to Kenyans of goodwill to help Rose access the necessities she needed as she continued receiving care at home.
Sadly, the daughter who travelled abroad to build a better future for her family returned home to face a battle she desperately hoped to win.
Yvonne’s story is now a painful reminder of the sacrifices families make when illness strikes, and the heartbreak of losing a loved one despite doing everything possible to save them.
