RICHMOND, Va. -- For 23 years, Christianah Njoku fought in the U.S. Military.
Immigrating from Nigeria at eight years old, she joined the Army with her sister after high school and dedicated more than two decades of her life to serving others.
More than three combat missions later, the Army veteran got married and gave birth to a baby boy.
"All this while I was serving, I put my life on hold. I had my son, that was during the COVID craziness. It wasn't my work, it was God's miracle and it worked out," Njoku said.
But after a visit to the doctor because of stomach pains in May 2022, the new mom learned she would be fighting a new battle.
"It is cancerous. But we don't know what kind of cancer is," Njoku said.
After months of testing, Njoku was diagnosed with Stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma cancer or cancer of the bile duct.
She was given just a few months to live.
"And at the end of it, all they came and said, you have the rarest form of cancer that has metastasized into your liver and is going really fast," Njoku said.
It's a rarity that Dr. Khalid Matin with the VCU Massey Cancer Center said is becoming more common.
"Cancer of the bile ducts. The bile ducts start in the liver and kind of branch out from there and then join up near the gallbladder. We are seeing, unfortunately, a rise in incidence," Matin said.
Even with chemotherapy treatment, Njoku said she was told it would only extend her life for four to six months.
"This cancer, you know, it's not death for me. I have a three-year-old to take care of, I have a new husband," Njoku said.
Determined to live, Njoku searched for other treatment methods and was led to an immunotherapy clinic in Texas, a treatment her insurance doesn't cover.
She said her family has had to sell what they can to start the treatment as each session costs around $17,000.
"Since this journey started, even my husband has basically sold his truck," Njoku said.
Dr. Matin said treatments like the one that Njoku is undergoing are worth exploring in situations like this.
"It's always important to, you know, make sure you seek out a medical opinion, look at all your options. Ask about clinical trials, because there's new and novel therapies always coming around," Matin said.
Already envisioning her time in remission, Njoku said she is looking forward to the time she will spend with her son as her fight against cancer is a battle she intends to win.
"I don't know, I have such a strong will to live that I'm not scared of people telling me I'm going to die. Because I claim life," Njoku said.
Njoku's friends and family have raised enough money to cover the first treatment but money continues to be raised to help cover treatment for the next few months. If you would like to donate to her treatments, click here.
