You are looking into the eyes of a young woman in Western Kenya. Eyes filled with tears and unable to look directly at a camera out of shame. She's a young mother of two.
---
This is her story.
---
I had the pleasure of meeting her this May. Truly, it was MY pleasure and one of the hardest things (no, THE hardest thing) I've seen in the country and my travels so far. I've been struggling with what to do with the pictures I have of her since I returned and started updating my blog. That's because the pictures are very difficult to look at, and it certainly doesn't get any easier the second and third time.
---
She's been living with a large tumor on her face, growing continuously, for years. Not only does she live with this tumor but also the reality that people in her community want nothing to do with her because of it. Belief in witchcraft is a fact in Kenya, partcularly in the rural areas. The people around her believe she has been a target of witchcraft which is what has caused this growth - and therefore, there is no cure for it. It's best not to be associated with her because the witch doctor could direct their attention towards you next.
---
I remember our meeting perfectly. I arrived in the community at the request of an old friend in order to see her. As I stood there swarmed by children and women oggling over the sight of me I saw her walking across a field. I looked at my friend (a Kenyan himself) and said "is that her?" as she walked towards me from afar. Even from a far distance, I could see that she had a black cloth covering something very large on her face. My friend had described the problem as a 'swollen lip', having no idea himself what it was. It certainly was NOT a swollen lip. I had put the meeting of this women low on my agenda due to the inacuracy of his description. After all, I was busy.
---
As she approached me I knew that what I was about to see was going to be frightening. She didn't say a word but rather took the cloth off of her face and just stood there while tears filled her eyes. I was shocked. Shocked does not even begin to describe it. I had to ask her to cover it for a minute while I gathered myself. Here was a woman, standing amongst a crowd of people from her own village showing me a tumor that has been growing on her face with tears sprinkling down her cheeks. How do you prepare yourself for that? It is impossible. Never in my life did I expect to see something like this. In our world, things like this are dealt with long before they can reach such a stage and you star to believe, out of naivety, that these types of things don't even exist. I gathered some courage and told her that I needed to take some pictures if I was going to help her. I left her that day with a promise; To do my ultimate best in order to find treatment. Someone to help from outside, as it can't be dealt with in the developing world. That's what I've been doing since.
---
The story doesn't get any happier. A week later when I arrived in Nairobi I found a similar case. This time a young boy, only 14, that had the exact same tumor but this time growing internally, inside his mouth. This boy was in a far worse situation as he was already starving to death. So, I added his name to my promise and went in search of treatment once I arrived back in Saudi Arabia on the job with some free time and a good internet connection.
---
I sent out numerous emails to different medical facilities within the United States over the next few days. Within only two weeks, I had replies from all of them. EVERY SINGLE ONE. All maxillo-facial surgeons willing to operate FOR FREE. Of course, getting these two individuals to the United States would be the difficult part and still is as I write this. I knew it would be but at least this is the first step. Secondly, an organization called MERCY SHIPS booked both patients for surgery in October. They are currently on the coast of Liberia in Monrovia and will be there until December. I never knew about this ship until I started researching and I highly recommend googling it. If you ask me, it's amazing.
---
It was, and is, my worry that October is too far away. Yesterday I got some very sad news from a friend. I had sent him to go and check on the 14 year old boy and have him brought to a hospital for a biopsy in order to determine whether or not the tumor was cancerous. The news he returned with was that the boy had passed away only two days ago. I felt and feel horrible. We didn't even get to tell him that we'd found treatment because I didn't (and don't) want to give anyone false hope until every last detail is arranged and confirmed. This news is what has motivated me to finally talk about the situation on my blog. I'd felt it was to sensitive of an issue and couldn't bring myself to post the pictures for all to see. I've seen tough things in Kenya but I've found myself almost unable to keep myself together over this particular case. I'm more motivated than ever, now, to get this woman the treatment she deserves and in turn help her change her life and circumstance in Kenya. I've chosen not to show the pictures of her tumor but one day, when she's been treated I will show them with the before and after shots. I can't wait until that day comes.
---
Please keep reading for updates. I'm determined to do this and could need your help soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment