Jeremiah is a young man aged 18 years from Limuru Kiambu. He is a form two student and is the second born in a family of two children. He stays with his grandparents because his mother is a single parent and traveled to Dubai where she is trying to make a living with little income. His grandparents are peasant farmers and his mother is not able to send them any money.
Jeremiah has for the last five years been visiting many hospitals because of a headache and abdominal pains. He has taken many recommended drugs and undergone many tests without positive results. This has greatly affected his learning, and that is why at the age of eighteen years he is still in form two. Eventually, his grandfather decided to bring him to Watsi Medical Partner’s care center Nazareth Hospital and an ultrasound showed he has a big gallstone. The surgeon advised a laparotomy but the family is not in a position to meet the surgery cost.
If not treated Jeremiah will continue to experience the pain as the stone will continue to grow and may cause complications like inflammation or blockage of the gallbladder and pancreatic duct.
“It has been years of pain and frequent visits to different hospitals, at one time I was even being told that I am not eating well. I really plead for help so that I can get back to my normal life and continue with my studies,” said Jeremiah.