Noolaisi is 59 years old and a mother of five from Kenya. She has never set foot in a classroom, and neither have her first three daughters. Having grown up relying on her husband for nearly everything, she raised her daughters in much the same way. Today, they can only communicate in their mother tongue, Maasai.
Five years ago, Noolaisi began to experience troubling symptoms, including persistent pain. She remembers a sudden burning sensation that would not go away. With no money to seek medical care, the only relief she could afford was an occasional painkiller. Her husband could not afford to take her to a hospital, so she endured the pain and carried on with her daily life. When her husband passed away in January 2024, Noolaisi’s struggles became even greater. Already living with worsening health, she suddenly had to navigate life as a widow and find a way to provide for herself and her two youngest daughters. Her older daughters had already been married and were living away from home. Life became a daily struggle. Noolaisi tried to keep her household running while enduring recurring episodes of pain.
In January 2026, Noolaisi’s condition suddenly worsened. The pain became so severe that she grew extremely weak and could no longer walk or eat. Her daughters brought her to our medical partner’s care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital, seeking help. Scans revealed kidney stones in her right kidney and a mass on her left kidney. After receiving treatment, the kidney stones were successfully removed from her right kidney. For the first time in years, Noolaisi began to feel better. She hoped that her suffering was finally coming to an end. However, the pain returned on the left side of her abdomen. Further evaluation showed that the mass on her left kidney had spread into her abdomen, and the affected kidney was no longer functioning. She was diagnosed with hydronephrosis with ureteral obstruction, a blockage in the ureter that prevents urine from draining from the kidney into the bladder, causing the kidney to swell with backed-up urine.
Noolaisi now needs surgery to remove the affected kidney and address the disease in the surrounding area. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,500 to fund Noolaisi’s surgery. On October 2nd, she will undergo surgery at AIC Kijabe Hospital. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully greatly improve her quality of life.
“I can hardly sleep anymore because of the pain. Even the painkillers no longer give me any relief,” Noolaisi lamented.

