“A Good Hospital in a Village”
Mama Lucas was a worried woman. Her 1-year-old son Lucas* was having a medical condition that was not getting resolved, despite several visits to different doctors. Lucas had a swelling in his groin area, and every time she changed his diaper or gave him a bath, she noticed that the swelling got bigger and bigger. In the beginning, it was just the swelling, but with time she noticed that it became painful to the touch, as Lucas would cry hysterically if she touched it. In a few weeks, Lucas started vomiting and experiencing diarrhea.
“I was very worried. Lucas’s condition kept getting worse, despite me visiting different clinics. The last clinic we went to suggested that circumcision would solve the issue, but in my heart I didn’t agree with this. I can’t explain it because I’m not a doctor, but somehow I knew he needed something more drastic than just circumcision to get better.”
Lucas and his mother live in Arusha, 88 miles from FAME. So how did they end up at FAME?
“It’s actually a strange story! My husband’s relative passed away and we came to Karatu for his funeral. During the funeral, one of his older aunties collapsed from grief and was unconscious for a long time. Someone suggested that she needed to see a doctor, and asked us to take her to this hospital called FAME.”
When they got to FAME, Mama Lucas was impressed with the swift medical attention the auntie got, the professionalism in which the medical staff handled the case, and the size of the hospital.
“I remember asking myself how such a good hospital ended up in a village! In my experience, such a hospital could only be located in a big town”
Mama Lucas went back home to Arusha and didn’t think about FAME again. That was until her son’s condition kept deteriorating.
“I was losing my mind. The boy kept getting sicker and sicker and we couldn’t figure out why. In my state of desperation, I remembered FAME hospital and decided to bring him here. My friends were very surprised when I told them that I would be leaving for Karatu to seek medical care. ‘It should be the other way round!’ they said, over and over.”
Undeterred, Mama Lucas boarded a bus to Karatu, and then a boda boda (motorbike) to FAME. Once at FAME, Lucas was examined and sent for an ultrasound and blood tests. The doctors discovered that Lucas had an inguinal hernia and would need surgery.
Relieved that finally she had a diagnosis, Mama Lucas consented to the surgery and waited. The doctors had explained the procedure to her in detail, and that gave her confidence that he was in good hands. 40 minutes later, Lucas was out of surgery, and it was a success!
“I’m so thankful to FAME. I cannot even express how much! So grateful! Everybody here has been so kind to Lucas and I. We have been very well taken care of. The demeanor of the staff has been the most comforting. Lucas is now doing very well and we will be going back home soon. My friends in Arusha cannot believe it, they now want to visit FAME just to see!”
FAME is happy to receive Mama Lucas’s friends and anybody else who would like to visit. Interested in touring FAME? Contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Prosper Mbelwa at volunteer@fameafrica.org.
*While the patients’ names have been changed to protect privacy, permission was secured to share his photos and stories with FAME supporters, and to raise awareness of available medical care at FAME.