Mary sits shyly on her hospital bed. You can tell that she wishes the bed would swallow her. Even in her shyness, you can see a slight smile, perhaps one of contentment and relief. Mary is a 22-year-old girl from Gataka, Ngong. She has been living with fistula since August 2020 when she delivered her first child through caesarean section. Unfortunately, the child died after three days due to birth complications. Mary states that she was initially admitted at Ithaga Hospital but later transferred to Maragwa Hopsital due to obstructed labour.
After delivery at Maragwa Hospital, the doctors noticed that there was a problem when she was unable to control her stool and urine flow. She went for a second surgery which revealed that she had fistula. To remedy the situation, the doctors inserted a catheter and referred her to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). At KNH, she was unable to get any assistance as she could not afford the costs of the corrective surgery. Being an orphan, she needed to seek help elsewhere. After being asked about the whereabouts of the baby’s father, Mary revealed that she got pregnant after being raped. She had no hope of getting any help from him.
From KNH, she was referred to Jamaa Hospital where she was subsequently referred to Eldoret Teaching and Referral Hospital. She was, however, unable to travel to Eldoret because of lack of funds. During this period, she met a good Samaritan, one of her church members who took her in. The good Samaritan also paid for her weekly hospital visits to Jamaa Hospital to have her catheter changed.
During the period of illness, Mary lost many people she considered friends. “I was abused and harassed. My friends abandoned me and hated me. Even where I reside, they made fun of me. No one bothered to assist me. I did my own laundry and other chores. Whenever the neighbours brought me food, they gave it to me with a lot of contempt.” Mary narrated.
While attending Jamaa Hospital, Mary was taken to KNH and was fortunate enough to find out about the Flying Doctor’s free clinic. She was included in the list of patients to receive the constructive surgery she desperately needed.
Mary is eternally grateful to the Flying Doctors Society of Kenya and looks forward to moving on and living a normal life. She hopes to make new friends and acquire new skills that will help her improve her economic situation. She further urges other women to speak out and seek help when faced with situations like hers.
