“The doctor told me I need this surgery,” says Nyiramakuba, a 73-year-old woman from Uganda. “But I am unable to pay for it myself.”
Nyiramakuba is a widow and a mother of four children, all of whom are grown up. However, Nyiramakuba does not live alone: she cares for her grandchildren in her house. She also worked as a subsistence farmer until recently.
For about eight years, Nyiramakuba has been living with a swelling in her left stomach region. At first, she didn’t take it seriously because it was not causing her discomfort. Eventually, however, the lump became so painful that she had to stop farming.
A neighbor directed Nyiramakuba to Virika Hospital, where she was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia. This means that her intestinal matter is pushing through a weak spot in her abdominal wall. Already having lowered Nyiramakuba’s quality of life, the hernia could turn fatal if her intestinal tissue becomes cut off from blood flow.
Nyiramakuba is scheduled to receive hernia repair surgery on October 18. But she needs your help to pay for it. When we raise $249, we will be able to cover the costs of her operation, as well as her lab tests, medications, and three-day hospital stay.
With your assistance, Nyiramakuba will be able to return to farming—and to enjoying time with her grandchildren again.
