Sometimes
working in Kenya you find yourself doing things that aren't really your role.
However, here, my role as a speech and language therapist is really just the
tip of the iceberg.
I was so
excited to see Florence and Edna today, I was going to be telling Florence that
(thanks to the incredible generosity of Tammy, back in Ashby who’s going to pay
her wage) I could employ her for 2 days a week to help me set up a women’s
group, with her as a ‘mentoring mum’. She’s going to work with other mums
modelling to them how to interact and care for their child with disabilities,
support them in making medical and educational decisions and empowering them to
also be proud of their truly special children. The other great bit about this,
is as a result of Edna’s stroke, Florence can’t work anymore as she has to care
for her daughter. With this role she can bring Edna with her and earn much
needed money to help pay all the medical costs of having a child with sickle
cell anaemia.
Unfortunately
Edna has been admitted to hospital. Florence called me yesterday to let me
know. It was unclear over the phone as to why, something to do with her blood.
Me and my student, Kelsey, went to see Edna on the ward today, even though she’s
sick, she still greeted us with her beautiful smile and LOVED the little polka
dot bag we gave her as a gift from some students from Hong Kong university we
met the other week. We were there during ward rounds so I got to hear from the
doctor exactly what was wrong with her:
“her blood is too thin and low. Because
she has had a stroke already her blood must be maintained above a certain level
or else she will have another stroke. She needs a transfusion.”
I asked him
why this wasn’t already happening. “we don’t have any blood that match her type
in the blood bank”.
‘Russia
Hospital’ is the biggest public hospital in the district. How can the biggest
hospital around have no blood?? Where on earth are we going to find blood??
The doctors
passing comment at the end was “find the blood. Or else she will have another
stroke”… I felt sick.
Luckily I
get to work with an amazing colleague within the APDK (association for
physically disabled people in Kenya) called Tobias. We went to ask him where we
could get our blood tested to be possible doners for Edna. He explained it wasn’t
as simple as that as it takes about 48 hours for it to be screened in Nairobi.
He phoned
around people he knew at we decided to meet up after work to go on a blood
hunt.
Another
colleague, Steve came along too – they’ve both had the pleasure of meeting
beautiful Edna before.
We went to
Aga Khan Hospital – the private hospital – there was no blood that matched
there.
I was so
frustrated – how is there no blood here?? I was told that, especially in
Western Kenya, people don’t donate blood. If you donate you find out your HIV
status… People would rather not know that. As a result, there are always blood
shortages. I love many things about Kenya, but this frustrated me more than
almost anything I’ve ever heard here…
We then went
to the District Hospital. The Lab Manager was just pulling out of the gate –
luckily Tobias spotted him and managed to persuade him to see if he could help.
We explained
the situation and he wanted to be of assistance. However, they too have blood
shortages so we weren’t hopeful. Kelsey and I crossed everything possible as
the technician was called. Reality really hit home when the manager explained
to the technician that “a little girl is dying and needs blood”…
They have
one bag of blood. Just enough for a transfusion. I almost cried with relief.
However, it’s never that simple. We have to hope, pray, keep our fingers
crossed and any other good luck superstition that no one needs that blood
tonight as it can’t be transported until tomorrow. If they do need the blood,
Edna doesn’t get it and we’re back to square one.
I’ll keep
you updated…
