Urgent Medical Saves and Changes Lives in Kenya

It has been an interesting last few months with everything so focused on COVD-19 and how it impacted lives and changed communities.

It’s no different in Oyugis, Kenya.

Mandatory mask-wearing out in public was enforced by getting jail time if caught not wearing one.

Curfews kept people at home and away from social activities.

As of this writing, its been reported that only 1 death in Oyugis was attributed to the virus. We are thankful for such a low number.

So, while citizens complied with the regulations keeping them safe from COVID-19 , other diseases and illnesses continued to wreak havoc on many lives, both young and old. The same issue of lacking financial resources to seek out medical care persisted.

BUT...It was your dedication and support that enabled others to seek out urgent medical care. Your support allowed treatment for many cases of typhoid, malaria, bacterial infections, ulcers and even a throat surgery.

None of which would have happened without your support!

YOU are responsible for healing and relief to many people in Oyugis.

Instead of the virus, You Are the One impacting and changing lives.

Thank You!

Merry Broughal
Olalo of Hope-Kenya

Most of us today don’t even think twice when it comes to checking in with our medical provider when we’re not feeling well. 

For most of the people in Oyugis Kenya the first thing they consider is if they have any money to seek help….or does what little they have need to go for food for the day instead. Tough choices are made.

Over these past months, thanks to you and your support  of our Urgent Medical Care project, many of those suffering injuries or illness have been able to seek out medical treatment.

Snake bites, respiratory issues, malaria, typhoid, cancer treatments, surgeries and accidents…all seen by local and neighboring medical facilities because of your support!

One 5-month old was able to see a pediatric specialist and it saved his life!  For weeks it was trial and error trying to determine what was causing his seizures and breathing problems!  Your support allowed us to seek the help of a specialist who diagnosed the issue and saved his young life.  

I don’t need to think twice to know the impact you are making in the lives of the people in Oyugis, and to know how extremely grateful they are to receive help…it is the  tears of relief and joy, and expressions of gratitude expressed by each person helped that so clearly says Thank You!

Merry Broughal
Olalo of Hope-Kenya
Project Leader

We are so very grateful for your support of Olalo of Hope-Kenya’s Urgent Medical Care project.

Thank You!

Over the years you have responded to the medical needs of the people of Oyugis, Kenya…both young and old!

While the typical medical needs are still being met, we have proactively put some safety measures into place to hopefully fend off the Corona virus from impacting our beneficiaries and staff in Oyugis.

With your support and a generous micro-grant we received from GlobalGiving, we have been able to supply all our current education sponsored students and family members with masks made right in Oyugis.

A local seamstress who has struggled in her business due to the virus has been sewing these masks for us to distribute. We are thankful to offer these safety measures to our folks; and be able to support the local economy by using her services and providing her with an income.

Current law in Kenya mandates the arrest of any citizen outside of their homes not wearing a mask. It is a critical time to be able to offer these masks to not only keep them protected medically, but to keep them from being taken to jail.

You are making this possible! Thank You!

On a side and sad note: Since many of you have followed Felix through his journey with amputation and cancer, I did want to let you know that he has lost his battle and passed away last month. We have not been able to learn the cause of his death as all the final tests showed him cancer free.

Thank you for traveling this road with him; I do know he was so incredibly grateful for the support and prayers.

Nyasaye Ogwedhi!

Merry Broughal
Olalo of Hope- Kenya

It’s been several months since we have reported back to you with an update on Felix, the 19-year-old young man who had his leg amputated when it was found he had an aggressive bone cancer growing just below his knee.

Thanks to your generous support to Olalo’s Urgent Medical Fund, Felix is just finishing his sixth chemo session.

While he has made a great adjustment to using crutches to get around, the constant wearing and pressure of them under his arms is giving him soreness and pain, but he carries on!

The chemo treatment side effects have not been kind to Felix either, but he continues to travel hours away from home to receive them.

The journey to the hospital is a challenge.  Felix and his mum travel to and from the hospital in hot and overcrowded matatu’s….vans that travel from city to city; public transportation.  It’s a difficult trip in the best of circumstances, but when feeling miserable and weak from the chemo treatments, the travel is so much worse.

Felix has a strong resolve to make it through and live, so he continues to push himself to get to his treatments.

We are so thankful that through many CT scans and other tests, it appears the cancer was totally removed when he went through surgery, and now insuring it doesn't appear elsewhere with the life-saving chemo sessions.

We thank you, and Felix thanks you for your continued support to the Urgent Medical project that is helping so much with the costs on this road to his recovery.

We are hopeful our next report is one of announcing Felix is completely, totally cancer-free! 

Thank You for hanging with us as together we support his journey to recovery!

Merry Broughal
Olalo of Hope-Kenya

Treating people for malaria is so commonplace these days throughout Kenya, we often tend to forget how deadly this diagnosis can be.

Thanks to you, supporters of Olalo of Hope’s urgent medical program, we have the funds available to cover the cost of testing for the disease as well as the antibiotics needed for treatment. The cost for this at local hospitals ranges from $20-$30.

People unable to get tested and treated because of a lack of funds, can experience serious consequences, including death. Testing and treatment are imperative!

The area in Kenya where Olalo of Hope serves is a high-risk area for malaria-carrying mosquitos. Thanks to you, our generous donors, many residents, from babies to older adults, have been tested and treated over the years.

In other areas throughout Kenya, there is a shortage of the medication needed to treat malaria.  The article included with this report talks of the death of a young student and fears of additional fatalities due to this shortage and an increase in mosquitos carrying this disease.

 The area in which we serve has not been affected by the lack of medication and we continue, with your support, to see testing and treatment done locally for those in need. 

Thank you for your gracious support. 
Thank you for saving lives!

Merry Broughal
Olalo of Hope-Kenya

Links:

• Malaria Carrying Mosquitos Causing Deaths