Rwamuhanda is 61 years old, separated, and a father of three from Uganda. All his children have their own families and he lives alone in the house. He is a farmer who gets little income from selling the surplus of food from his gardens.
More than four years ago, Rwamuhanda developed a swelling in his upper abdomen. The swelling was on and off but for the past two years it has been on. The pain increases upon straining and he has no appetite. He visited a hospital where he was given medicine, but it has not helped to reduce either the pain or the swelling.
An epigastric hernia - Rwamuhanda’s condition - occurs when fat pushes through a weak area of the stomach wall, causing pain and discomfort.
If not treated, Rwamuhanda may suffer intestinal obstruction, incarceration and strangulation. “I have lived with pain for a long time,” he tells us. Hernia repair surgery will push the bulge back, and will eliminate his pain.
$220 will cover the operating costs, medication, and Rwamuhanda’s 14-day stay in the hospital.
After surgery he hopes to recover well, have good health, and be able to work in his gardens without feeling pain.