“I am taking care of my sick parents, but am also sick myself,” shares Kahunzire, a 30-year-old woman from Uganda.
Kahunzire used to work in a supermarket, but her father fell ill and had no one else to take care of him. She decided to quit her job and look after her father and her mother, who is also sick. With no source of income, Kahunzire began harvesting produce from her garden to feed to her parents. But recently, due to a new ailment, she has lost her ability to work in the garden.
Last year, Kahunzire started feeling abdominal pain after eating, and noticed a swelling in her stomach. She visited a hospital, and was diagnosed with a hernia in her umbilical region. Kahunzire’s hernia causes her pain not only when she eats, but also when she bends over, or does any strenuous physical activity. For this reason, she can no longer dig the vegetables on which she and her parents are dependent for meals. And if she is not treated, Kahunzire could suffer fatal side complications like intestinal strangulation, where part of the herniated tissue becomes cut off from blood flow.
But there is hope for Kahunzire. When we raise $220, Holy Family Virika Hospital will provide her with hernia repair surgery, as well as the medications, lab tests, and two-week hospital stay she’ll need to recover from the procedure.
After surgery, Kahunzire wants to continue harvesting produce to support her parents. She also plans to increase her yield so that she can begin selling some of the surplus food for income. By helping Kahunzire recover from her hernia, we can help her begin her small business and support her parents.