Kosen and his mother.
Kosen* is one and a half years old. He is basking in the sun on the FAME grounds with his mother. Next to them are two other women. Kosen’s mother looks excited as she chats to them in her tribal language. They seem like old friends despite having just met at FAME. Kosen has been discharged to go home from the inpatient ward after a week of admission. Together with his mother, they are waiting for his father to take them home.
Kosen had been sick for a month before his mother decided to bring him to FAME. His neck had a big swelling, starting as a little pimple and growing.
“When Kosen got sick, we thought the swelling would go down. But it didn’t; instead, it got bigger and more painful to the touch. My husband wanted to take him to the local clinic close to where we live, where we take the children all the time for small injuries, but I refused. I knew of a child with a similar illness to Kosen’s who lost his life at that clinic, so I knew potential risks were involved. I told my husband we must seek an alternative hospital.”
Kosen’s mother already had another hospital in mind, FAME. Despite never having visited, she had heard good things and was confident that FAME could help.
“My sister-in-law is the one who told me about FAME. She said she had a huge swelling in her stomach, which was surgically removed a few years ago at FAME and she went back to full health. She said she knew many people who still come here and they say it just gets better as the years go by. So I ran to my husband and pleaded with him. He couldn’t argue with what his big sister had said, so he brought us to FAME!”
When Kosen and his parents arrived at FAME, the doctors ran tests and admitted him to the inpatient ward.
“He was crying a lot when we got here. I can always make him laugh, but this time I couldn’t! The doctors reassured me that they would do everything possible to help him.”
Luckily, Kosen’s diagnosis did not require surgery. According to his mother, he is well enough to go home after a week of medications and “many injections”.
“ I am thankful that Kosen is okay. I ask FAME management and the doctors to continue the same way. You are helping many of us who would otherwise have nowhere else to go. I believe God brought FAME to us because he knew we needed it! I am FAME’s ambassador from today! More people need to know about this hospital, its good service and the fact that they are good with adults and children too! They have been very gentle with Kosen.”
Why is Kosen’s mother declaring herself “a FAME Ambassador”?
“We don’t live close to FAME. Our home is quite far. We had to take three modes of transport to get here [bus, private car and bodaboda]. Still, despite the challenges involved, I had to prioritize quality healthcare for my son over convenience, as I could see that his condition was serious and out of the ordinary. I want to tell everyone in my village that despite the proximity of our local clinic, we should look for other hospitals, especially for complex cases, to ensure our children get the best care.”
Kosen’s mother is happy to have met other mothers at FAME from her tribe, who share her experience of traveling long distances to access quality healthcare. They have offered each other support and distracted themselves from their children's illnesses by telling each other stories.
“I am inspired to see mothers here at FAME who have come even farther than I have in search of quality healthcare for their children. They have overcome many challenges to get here, but it’s all worth it!”
*The patient's name has been changed to protect their privacy and permission was secured to share their story. The quotes have been translated from Maasai to English.
