Margaret is a 59-year-old woman from Nairobi, Kenya. Margaret has two adult sons. Both were married but separated from their wives, leaving their children with Margaret. Margaret works as a domestic worker and sells boiled maize at the market to provide for her family.
In 2013, Margaret developed a boil on the roof of her mouth. Despite seeking help at several hospitals, Margaret couldn’t afford the costs of scans and diagnosis. The boil continued to grow, affecting her teeth and speech, and causing her discomfort and pain.
For the past eleven years, Margaret has endured this pain without treatment as she could not afford to seek help. In March 2024, our medical partner’s care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital, conducted an outreach in the area where Margaret lives. During the free check-up, Margaret was advised to visit the main hospital for further diagnosis. However, she couldn’t afford the transportation costs and took four months to make the trip for a follow-up. In July 2024, doctors diagnosed Margaret with a hard palate mass that had extended from her palate up to her nose. Margaret needs a mass excision surgery to remove the growth before it causes further complications.
On August 14th, Margaret will undergo surgery and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,500 to fund the procedure.
Margaret says, “I am stressed out, I keep on thinking this growth will affect me further and I will not be able to speak.”