Imanirankunda is 28 years old and married. She and her husband are refugees from The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They are now living in a refugee camp in Uganda where they have been since February of 2016. Before that, they were living in a camp in Burundi.
In 2013, Imanirankunda delivered her first child by cesarian section (C-section) in Burundi. Unfortunately, the baby died at the age of two and a half years. A friend she met in Burundi helped pay for her surgery at the time.
She is now 37 weeks pregnant and is unable to deliver normally because of her previous scar, a contracted pelvis, and she is physically challenged – she cannot walk. Imanirankunda’s legs are too weak as she contracted polio when she was very young.
If Imanirankunda does not deliver through a C-section, she may suffer uterine rupture which would endanger both her and her child’s life. Uterine rupture’s occur when there is a tear in the wall of the uterus, typically at the site of a prior C-section scar.
A C-section will cost $270, which covers the surgery and seven days in the hospital to ensure Imanirankunda and the baby’s health.
While still in DRC, Imanirankunda learned how to read, write, and use a sewing machine. If she had a sewing machine and a wheel chair to sit in, she would be able to start an income-generating sewing project. After surgery and delivery, she hopes to take care of her baby with the help of her husband, friends, and other good-willed people.
“I hope to deliver a healthy baby,” Imanirankunda shares. “I am glad my hands are strong, so I will be able to hold my baby.”
