Ndegami is a 50-year-old husband and father of nine children who lives in Uganda. His banana plantation is the sole source of income for him and his family.
About five years ago, Ndegami was pushing a bicycle loaded with bananas when he felt a sharp pain in his right inguinal area. Two months later, he developed a small swelling in the same area. When the swelling grew, he visited a hospital where he received medicine that decreased the size of the swelling. When he finished the medicine, the swelling became bigger, but Ndegami never returned to the hospital because of lack of money.
Ndegami has an inguinal hernia, a protrusion of the intestines through a weak region in the abdominal muscles. The hernia presents as a protrusion or bulge in the abdomen or groin and makes coughing, bending at the waist, or lifting heavy objects very painful. Ndegami’s hernia is large, but it goes back inside when he presses on it. He feels pain mostly when he strains. Due to the pain, he has not been able to attend to his farm for the past year.
“The big swelling that pains me a lot, and I cannot do heavy work,” shares Ndegami.
Ndegami’s son-in-law advised him to come to Holy Family Virika Hospital for evaluation and treatment. For $249, Ndegami will undergo hernia repair surgery. During the surgery, the doctor will push the protruding tissue back into the abdomen and sew together the weakened muscle with a synthetic mesh. Over time, muscle tissue will grow into and around the mesh to strengthen the area.
Funding for Ndegami also covers the costs of a three-day hospital stay, pain medicine, antibiotics, and blood tests.
After surgery, Ndegami hopes to resume working on his banana plantation. Let’s help make that happen!
