Promise is a 27-year-old woman from Kabale District in Uganda. She is married, and a devoted mother of three children. Together with her husband, they earn a living through small-scale farming. Their children attend a nearby government-aided primary school. The family lives in a three-room mud house, use a torch for lighting, and firewood for cooking. Despite working tirelessly, their income is often insufficient to meet the family's basic needs.
For the past three years, Promise has been experiencing chronic lower abdominal pain associated with a painful swelling. The pain has progressively worsened and now interferes with almost every aspect of her daily life. Simple activities such as digging, bending, carrying water, cooking, and walking long distances have become extremely painful. On some days, the pain is so severe that she is unable to perform any household chores or work in the farm, which has impacted the family's source of income.
Promise sought treatment from several small health facilities, and although she received medications for symptom relief, her condition never improved. Healthcare providers advised her to undergo an ultrasound scan to determine the underlying cause of her illness. However, access to such diagnostic services was difficult because of the long distance, poor road network, and the family's inability to afford the cost of investigations. Her obstetric history has also been challenging. Promise has undergone four C-sections, and recalls experiencing severe abdominal pain and chest pain during all her pregnancies except the last one.
Recently, Promise developed severe abdominal pain that left her unable to move independently. Concerned, her husband borrowed money from a friend and arranged for the three-hour transportation to Rushoroza Hospital. Upon arrival, Promise underwent comprehensive assessment, including an ultrasound scan, which revealed that she had an infected intra-abdominal cystic mass, a condition requiring emergency curative laparotomy for definitive treatment. If the surgery is delayed, the infection could worsen, leading to persistent chronic pain, peritonitis, and other potentially life-threatening complications. Although relieved to finally know the cause of her illness, Promise and her husband were devastated when informed about the financial requirements for the surgery and hospital care. They had hoped to earn some money from their recent bean harvest, but unfortunately, prolonged dry weather destroyed much of their crop, leaving them with only a minimal harvest and worsening their already difficult financial situation.
Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Promise receive treatment. On July 25th, she is scheduled to undergo a curative laparotomy that will address her symptoms, restore her ability to care for her children, and rebuild their family's livelihood. This procedure will cost $284, and Promise and her family need your support.
Softly, Promise shared, "For three years, I have lived with constant pain that has taken away my strength, my ability to work, and my peace of mind. I have gone from one health facility to another, hoping to find healing, but my condition has only become worse. We even lost our bean harvest to the dry weather, and the little we had was not enough to pay for treatment. To reach this hospital, we had to borrow transport money because I could no longer walk due to the pain. Today, the doctors have given me hope by telling me that surgery can save my life, but my family cannot afford it. I humbly appeal to you for help so I can undergo this operation. Your support will relieve me from pain, allow me to care for my four children again, and allow my family to rebuild our lives. You will not only be saving my life, but you will be restoring hope to an entire family. May God richly bless you for your generosity and compassion."
