Kawangware Mum of 5 Battling Breast Cancer Seeks Job Opportunity to Buy Medicine: "Sina Pesa"
- Lydia Nafula, a 31-year-old woman, is not only sick and in need of help but also facing a financial crisis that requires urgent action
- The single mother of five opened up about her struggles, which date back to when she was pregnant with her lastborn child
- Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, she recounted returning to an empty house and how almost ignoring an itchy ear nearly cost her health
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Lydia Nafula, a woman from Kawangware, Nairobi county, is desperately appealing for help following medical complications.
Source: UGC
She was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was two months pregnant with her lastborn child.
The mother of five had experienced some unusual symptoms, which she initially dismissed.
"One side of my ear was itchy and swollen. I thought maybe it was just a pregnancy effect and nothing serious. It was also very painful, and at some point, I decided to go to the hospital.
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"I was turned away at the first hospital. When I went to the second, I was referred to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH)," she narrated.
Nafula diagnosed with breast cancer
A biopsy was conducted at the facility, and the results confirmed Nafula had cancer. It was not very advanced; it was still in stage 1, but doctors advised urgent treatment to stop it from spreading.
"It was around the same time that one day when I returned home, I found my house swept clean by my husband. I was two months pregnant then. He had abandoned me, leaving behind the children but taking their clothes and everything else. The house was completely empty.
"I don’t know if he found out I had cancer and that’s why he ran away with our possessions or what happened. I was devastated and desperate, pregnant and with nothing," she said.
Nafula tried to survive by doing menial jobs, but it was often difficult as she ran out of breath while washing clothes or performing other tasks.
Does Nafula go to work with her son?
Sometimes, she would go to work with her teenage son, who helped her when she took breaks.
"Even now, I cannot do heavy work. If I bend for long, my chest aches. I have to take frequent breaks, which most employers don’t understand," she explained.
At the same time, she was undergoing chemotherapy, which was costly and overwhelming given her many responsibilities.
After giving birth, she could not breastfeed her newborn due to the chemotherapy.
Why has Nafula never breastfed her baby?
"My baby is now two months old but has never breastfed because of my condition. As much as the chemo is reducing, it is still too risky for the baby. The baby is also unwell, with a swollen body. I have no idea what is happening," she added.
Her teenage son has dropped out of school due to financial challenges and works as a gas carrier to support the family.
However, the little money he earns is barely enough to cover food, rent, and school fees.
"I also have a five-year-old who has never stepped into a classroom. The youngest one is sick. The others are also not going to school. I have relied on help from church members and neighbors, but they have distanced themselves because I always ask for help," she said.
What help does Nafula wants for her son?
Nafula is appealing for assistance to start a small business or find less physically demanding work to cater for her medical needs and those of her children.
When she tried to contact her husband, another woman allegedly answered his phone and warned her never to disturb them again.
"I am all alone with no help. I would love for my eldest son to get a scholarship, even if it’s for a course like catering or plumbing, so he can find a job. If I could also get a less demanding job or small business, I would appreciate it. My immediate needs are school fees for my five-year-old daughter who has never been to school, medicine, and education support for my eldest son," she said.
Nafula can be reached at 0714403383, Moss Onzere.
Source: UGC
Woman abandoned with five kids
In another story, a woman named Doreen recounted how her husband, who once told her marrying her was a favour, abandoned her with five children.
She was pregnant with her lastborn when he walked out of their troubled marriage.
Left jobless and vulnerable, she struggled to survive as she had been a stay-at-home mum for years.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
