Professional Documents
Culture Documents
His sickness -
As Kennedy’s pregnancy was two months, the mother was attacked by strong
abdominal pains which led her to too much bleeding that even the nurses gave out
news that it has been a mis-carriage. We were all sorry about it as I lost courage and
became sorrowful of losing my first born. Four months later, I took the mother for
scanning to check if she had got any serious infection in the stomach. Only the scan
results to tell the mother was having pregnancy of four months and this was after two
months.
The pregnancy from there did not have other complications until nine months when
she went in for labour. She was ready for normal delivery but unfortunately in the last
minutes as Kennedy was expected out, he started bringing the ankle of his arm which
brought the doctors to take the mother to the theatre for c-section. He weighed 3 kgs.
As Kennedy was one and a half months old, he developed cough which could not go
and it was on and off. There we started moving from hospital to hospital but in vain.
The cough became so strong that they started mistaking it in different ways as
pneumonia, asthma and even TB as he was even put on the dose of TB for three
months at the Kangado hospital but all in vain.
Then in 2004 we got a clinical officer who advised us to take him to Mbarara
university teaching hospital in the western region of Uganda for better examinations.
After that they offered us to UgandaHeart Institute (Mulago hospital) where we were
told this problem of the heart in 2005 after being seen and checked by doctor Zina.
She called for a review after one month to see Dr Sabo who would be visiting the
institute but he did not turn up. The doctor (Dr Zina) advised us to look for funds that
time she told us to look for nine thousand US dollars and we bring him to India here
for heart surgery. I lost courage and hope because my income could not reach a drop
of this money. I kept on prayers and surrendered the child to god because I had seen
myself could not manage. I wrote to the government for assistance but nobody could
answer.
The problem could not give us time to sleep at home as we just kept on touring
hospitals to look for Rescue as him rate of falling sick was too high. I started a goat
project (farm) with hope that when the goats accumulate in number and my little
saving for him could facilitate his heart Surgery this was in 2006.
In 2007, when the goats had reached 50 on the farm, they started dying to an extent
that we could ask what is behind but because we are believers in Christ, we could
surrender everything to God. I was looking forward to be assisted by the goats as I
was saving little on my salary to boost the goat’s project.
In 2009 November when I had saved money equivalent to 2000 dollars hoping it will
help Kennedy, me the father got a disease that affected my liver and kidneys and was
in admitted to Cardiac Hospital in Kampala and all the money that had kept or saved
was used on me.
This again worried me and kept in me in real cry that I am going to die before my
child is treated. They got me a councillor who counselled me and started telling me
about God’s miracles assuring me that God knows my problems and my struggle for
my home, that he cannot let me die us early as this. I was not sure I would recover
because the whole of my body had swollen and my kilograms had increased by 8kgs
in 9 days.
Doctors stopped me from taking any drug and any drink with pressure because my
liver was no longer functional and that they may spoil them the more.
I spend seven months without attending duty as I could not manage to walk a distance
of a kilometre on foot and we live on the slopes of mount Rwenzori and the whole
area is mountainous.
In May 2010, I had shift my family to town though I had first shifted Kennedy, his
sister and brother to extend near to quality schools in five year before.
In September 2010 as I was moving along the street for my casual walk, I met a friend
who asked me if I had got the news or announcement of Cardiologist specialists who
will be visiting International Hospital Kampala (IHK) that was in a daily news paper,
I said no. He asked me to look for it but could not tell me the date when it was written
but he had told me those doctors are coming to do the heart surgery in Kampala and
for free. I got motivated and had to ring or call my brother who is in Kampala to reach
the hospital and confirm if it is true the doctors would visit the hospital. He rushed
there immediately on 18 /09/2010 on reaching there, he found they had started
examining patients on that day and were ending on the 19th that is the next day.
He immediately registered and booked for Kennedy to be seen the next day of 19
/09/2010 as I was still up country . At three (3.00 pm) the hospital gave the
programme of 19 /09/2010 while I was not even prepared, I first failed if I could
manage because of distance as it takes us 10 hours from our place Bwera, that is at the
border with Democratic in republic of Congo (DRC) to Kampala in a bus.
Immediately I started looking for transport as they had told me consultation was for
free. We got into the night bus and started the journey at 8:00 pm and 5:25 am early in
the morning, we were in Kampala city.
We were called in the hospital early in the morning at 9:00 am and we were seen by
Dr. Muthu at 3:00 pm in the evening.
Thanks
I first thank God for protecting me through the sickness I got and healing me so first
that I managed to take my child for the camp.
I thank the organisers of the camp that has finally bought me hope for my child.
I thank Mr Jose Manavalan for all the commitment he put forward in guiding me and
spending much of his time on me in communications both by email and phone calls.
I thank Lizabeth for the warm welcome at the Hospital and all the big effort she put
forward in showing my problem of not coming with funds to the rest of the
Colleagues and they acted immediately as me and son had gone in total grief. Since
the child saw me shedding tears in the room of the lodge where we had been taken
first as I was praying to God in these word “ I thank you God for the gift of life, you
know and knew how I got little money for only the travel, you know how much I had
for this programmes, and you know how much I left at home if any, now that I have
been told that I am going back without what brought me, I know you are my guide
that you have guided my family throughout my problems, now that I shed tears Lord
remove them from my face and give a smile as you have made me very many
miracles of good hope, that you managed to protect Kennedy right from the
pregnancy and I think you know how I gave him the name of “Blessed” glorifying
your name for his protection. and soon I was answered by Lizabeth’s call that
something is going to be done to facilitate my son’s surgery and I should not book the
aeroplane (Airticket).
Above all, I thank Radiant medical tourism travel and Apollo Hospitals through
Radiant
i) Jose Manavallan
ii) Lizabeth
Apollo Hospital
i) Dr. Muthukumaran
ii) Dr. Solomon
for the effort put to sponsor my child’s heart surgery which I had failed together with
my family in the whole decade (10 years).
At the same time doctor Solomon and those who worked with him as they were doing
the surgery. I as an individual has nothing to promise but only wish you good health
and life.
1. I got a loan top up for four years that is to be completed in 2014 where I pray
to God for life up to when I finish paying because it will not be easy to pay.
This ran me to 700 dollars as I had got a previous loan with bank.
2. My friends and family contributed 500 US dollars
3. I sold my piece of land at an equivalent of 1000 dollars.
4. Borrowed the balance from friends as my heart was always put up and down
since I had been told that Kennedy life would not go beyond 15 years if not
worked upon.
My occupation as a parent.
I work as primary teacher at school called Kibirighs primary school as an English and
social studies teacher and earn 100 dollars per month. I am also married to a teacher
who earns the same.
I request Radiant and Apollo hospitals to be praying for poor Ugandans and
look for associations and organisations which would be going to Uganda to take
quality health service. Like in Chennai as many children are dying of heart
related problems and cannot get assistance since the service of heart surgery is
not there and transport plus other funds to facilitate it cannot be managed by
poor Ugandans who lie in the category.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year 2011. Long live
Compiled by
Baluku Ngangale Godfrey father of blessed Kennedy on 10th December 2010.