Urgent Medical Saves and Changes Lives in Kenya

This spring we spent a month in Oyugis, Kenya working alongside our Olalo volunteers. Experiencing the everyday activities of our medical program and our other projects gave us a better understanding of how lives are being impacted through Olalo.

These lives are impacted and being changed because of YOU and your support for our programs. For that we Thank You! Thank You!

We originally planned to tour one of the hospitals we regularly use in Oyugis, but we came down with a severe respiratory illness which dragged on for a few weeks. Not wanting to spread our virus to others, or pick up anyone else’s in our vulnerable condition, we didn’t tour.

However, husband Peter did get to experience first hand the whole hospital experience as an outpatient. Doctor evaluation, bloodwork, lab and hospital fees, plus a bag full of antibiotics, cough syrups, cough drops and variety of other medicines ran us a total of about $36 US.

I can’t say we were excited to experience the whole hospital scenario in person, but that visit emphasized why our medical program gets us so excited… it only takes a little, that goes a long way, to help so many! That’s amazing!

Without our urgent medical program and your generous support, many people who need help would be left untreated leading to chronic illness or even death.

During our visit, malaria and typhoid cases were the most common. Several people heard we were in Oyugis and came to us seeking medical help for surgeries or medications. Others would see us through the open doors of the Olalo office and come in to see if we could help with their medical needs.

An elderly Luo woman came to where we were staying several times to ask for help with the pain medication she could no longer afford for a chronic illness she was suffering from.  Each time she came, everyone in the household who could speak the language was out working. At the time we didn't know what her need was although we could see she was in distress. Finally, after a few days, she connected with one of our local volunteers and we were able to purchase the needed pain medications.

People previously helped by Olalo (and some we are still helping), came by to see us. One dear woman came to thank us again three years after Olalo paid for her treatment at the hospital. She brought us a live chicken as a thank you… an extremely valuable gift considering her life circumstances.

It is very humbling to meet the people who received help from Olalo, and to accept their heartfelt thanks and gratitude, knowing many of them might not be here today if they hadn’t received urgent medical care. I wish you could meet them all and hear their stories.

Just remember…. None of this is possible without you, our dear donors! We cannot thank you enough for being part of our Olalo family and graciously giving Olalo the financial means to impact and save so many lives.

Each and every one of you is changing a life 10,000 miles away…people you don’t even know!

That makes YOU INCREDIBLE and all of us at Olalo of Hope-Kenya Thank You!

Merry Broughal
Olalo of Hope-Kenyal

Over the past few months, a variety of urgent medical care issues arose that kept us traveling all over Kenya to get help!

We continued to cover the costs of treatment and medications for a number people right in Oyugis’ s fine hospitals, but several instances required us to travel to Kisii, Kisumu and Nairobi.

One young teen, Moses, couldn’t be diagnosed locally and sent us on to Kisumu where he was required to have day surgery to treat his issues. Another case that require several surgeries sent us to Nairobi to remove a facial disfigurement…one surgery down, another one yet to go. His dramatic picture and the change after just one surgery is included with this report.

Several times we were contacted by local hospitals about children seen and released without necessary medications so we made sure they got them. Sonko came across a mom with her young children who needed to be seen. The little guy had a tumor growing on his leg and his little sister was suspected to have malaria…she did.

Another child needed emergency surgery but had no money. The hospital administrator made the decision to proceed with the life-saving surgery and then asked Olalo of Hope-Kenya to pay for it…. when and as we can. It is very humbling to be a trusted resource in the community and to be called on for the urgent needs that cannot be financially met by those needing to be treated.

This is all possible because of YOU, our great supporters! Thank you for stepping up and helping us to save lives and make a difference in the lives of those who would otherwise go without urgent medical care.

Your support for this is very much appreciated by all of us at Olalo of Hope-Kenya, and by those who lives are impacted through treatment received because of this medical project.

Thank you.
Merry Broughal
Olalo of Hope-Kenya

To our Amazing Donors...a special “Thank You” goes out to you for supporting Olalo of Hope-Kenya’s Urgent Medical Care project.

In just the last month, there were 14 babies, kids and adults recovering from a multitude of illnesses and injuries because You cared enough to support Olalo in our efforts to provide the means to get the urgent medical treatment needed.

Whether it was surgery following a miscarriage, covering the cost of medications, dealing with stomach ulcers, malaria, typhoid, loss of eye sight due to infection, x-rays for a stabbing victim or a child with a growth on his foot, each one got the urgent care they needed and are on the road to recovery!

One very recent case really stands out and I’d like to share it with you.

While out visiting a friend in a town 5 hours away, Sonko, one of our amazing Kenyan volunteers, noticed a child on the side of the road. Her legs were scabbed, crusted and turning colors. Upon further investigation, he finds she is two-and-a-half-year-old Shantel and she is no longer able to walk due to the condition of her legs. Shantel was abandoned by her mother when she was just 6 months old and no one knows who her father is. A neighbor has been looking after her since she was abandoned.

We got her into a local hospital where she was evaluated and kept for several days while they attended to her legs. To avoid any possibility of her catching something from the other children in the hospital she was sent home with medications and instructions on how to care for her. It was determined an infection had gotten deep within her leg bone which was causing all the issues and rendering her unable to walk.

After just a few days it was reported that our little Shantel was healing and she was even trying to walk again. What an amazing fete and journey this young child has already been through at just 2.5 years old! The doctors are confident that due to her young age and getting treatment when she did, she will make a full recovery.

Thank You on behalf of this young child who may now grow up and have the use of her legs.

And on behalf of Olalo of Hope-Kenya, thank you for supporting us in this area of Urgent Medical Care.

You are making an impact on many lives…. saving lives and changing lives!

Thank you!
Merry Broughal
Olalo of Hope-Kenya

It’s been an amazing time in the lives of many of the poor and sick in Oyugis in the last few months, in the last few weeks! And what has made it so amazing?

YOU!

It was your support to our medical fund that made it all possible. Thank You!!!

It was just a few weeks ago when Sonko, our amazing volunteer in Kenya was at the hospital with a person suffering with pneumonia when he overheard the nurses talking about three-year-old Joram.

Joram had been left at the hospital 5 days earlier. Her father had abandoned her, her mother rarely visited and no one was treating the large open wound on her thigh because there was no money to pay. It also meant she hadn’t eaten for awhile. Sonko bought food for the child and paid to cover her medical expenses from Olalo's Medical program and Community Support for her food and water. 

While he was still there, Sonko met a young mother of 3-month-old twin boys who were both admitted into the hospital, but again, no money, so they weren’t being treated. Just the week before, this mother had lost another child although we don’t know why. One of the twins, Denis, was suffering with malaria, the other, Evance severe malnutrition. Sonko immediately paid for the twins’ care, but sadly it ended up being too late for Evance who died later that day. Denis is recovering and getting stronger.

And then there is 17-year-old Alex. Alex was brought to the hospital by a person who saw him get run over by a passing motorcycle while walking to school. He broke off a tooth and was having pain in his chest area. He had no money so he didn’t want to go, but the person who rescued him insisted on dropping him at the hospital. When they discovered he had no money, they would not treat him. Sonko heard about him and immediately paid for his medical care out of Olalo's Medical funds.

These are just three stories and there are more…all within hours and within days. Injuries, disease, accidents and illness – all with one thing in common…they received urgent medical care because YOU cared enough to give to our Urgent Medical Needs Project.

On behalf of Olalo of Hope-Kenya and all the family and loved ones of our patients, and future patients because of your continued support, I thank you!  Your generosity is saving lives.

We can't do it without you!

Nyasaye Ogwedhi!
Merry Broughal
Olalo of Hope-Kenya

Links:

• Urgent Medical Care in Kenya Video

It’s been a busy few months for Olalo getting the ill to the hospital for treatment and medications, and MANY THANKS to YOU, we were able to offer assistance to everyone coming to our attention who needed help.

There were many of the usual cases…typhoid, malaria and upper respiratory infections, (our most common illnesses), but then we came across someone diagnosed with an amoeba.

According to Harvard Health at drugs.com, “About 10% of the world's population is infected with amoebas, particularly people who live in Mexico, India, Central America, South America, Africa and the tropical areas of Asia.”

An amoeba is a parasite that causes infection in the large intestine. It can live there without causing much damage until it gets into the wall of the large intestine and causes ulcers, bleeding and other symptoms. It can travel to the liver causing additional symptoms including fever, severe pain and worse.

Most people get the parasite by consuming unwashed fruits or vegetables, produce grown in contaminated soil and general unsanitary conditions.

Our gentleman with the amoeba also had contracted both malaria and typhoid as well, leading to his need to spend 5.5 days in the hospital for treatment. Had this occurred here in the US, I’m not sure we’d have the funds to get him the needed treatment and pay for his hospital bill. But since it was in Kenya, the hospital charges amounted to a grand total of $116.87.

THIS is exactly why we get excited about our medical fund and we hope you do, too!

With your support, Olalo is able to help countless people- children and adults in Oyugis when the need for urgent medical care arises and they have no money to get help.

Thank you for making this all possible! Thank you for the healings that can take place and the lives that are saved! Thank you!

Merry Broughal, Project Leader
Olalo of Hope-Kenya