A Secret, A Chest Infection, and FAME’s Intervention
Nalari poses at the FAME ward, just before she’s discharged.
Nalari with her daughter-in-law
When Nalari* woke up on a Sunday morning, she was suffering from shortness of breath and her chest hurt. She stumbled to her son’s hut, with whom she shares a compound. Her son, hearing the commotion outside, ran out to find his mother struggling to walk. He called out for his wife and went to buy some medicine for his mother from a local pharmacy, but after an hour, that did not seem to help. With her condition quickly deteriorating, his wife advised that they bring her to FAME. “They will know what to do,” she said.
His wife, Nalari’s daughter-in-law, had been to FAME many times. She suffers from high blood pressure, and gets her medicine here. She was confident that FAME would be able to help her mother-in-law, and immediately she called for a boda boda (motorbike) to bring them the 15 miles to FAME. “It’s cheaper, and faster!” she explained.
Once at FAME, Nalari was received by our medical team and sent to FAME’s onsite laboratory tests. She was admitted to FAME’s inpatient ward where she received a diagnosis of a chest infection. Once on medication, she started to feel better.
However, she had a secret confession to make to the doctors:
“I am a heavy smoker, I think that might have something to do with my bad chest,” she confessed.
Her daughter-in-law explained that despite Nalari being a heavy smoker, she had never been this sick before, and that her condition had alarmed them.
The doctors talked to Nalari and explained that the heavy smoking is not helping her condition, and there is a possibility of recurring lung infections, progressive shortness of breath, and a decline in lung functioning should she continue with her current lifestyle.
“I feel so much better since I came here. FAME’s medicine seems to be working! I’m happy. I got good service. The doctors have talked to me about my smoking, and I’ve promised to stop. I will not continue to smoke, as it seems to be hurting me. I will listen to the doctor”
“I was confident that FAME would help her as they have helped me so many times and continue to help with my high blood pressure. I am happy that the doctors have also talked to her about smoking. She smokes quite a lot, from morning to evening. She doesn’t think it's a serious issue, and takes it quite lightly when people mention it. I do not dare talk to her about it, because she is my husband’s mother, so I let him do it. But she brushes him off every time! However, I think this time the doctors may have gotten through to her.” - Nalari’s daughter in law
Nalari is excited to be going home today after three nights at FAME’s inpatient ward. She is looking forward to being reunited with her grandchildren.
*While the patient’s name has been changed to protect privacy, permission was secured to share her photos and story with FAME supporters, and to raise awareness of available medical care at FAME Medical