Tumukunde is a 27-year-old small scale farmer who grows beans and potatoes for home consumption. Tumukunde got married in 2010 and is a mother of four children. Her husband trades live animals, buying and selling of cows and goats one at a time because he doesn’t have enough capital to expand his business.
Their family owns a four-room semi-permanent house. Their firstborn is 10 years old and in primary school class four, their second born is 8 years and in primary school class two. They also have a 3-year-old and 1-year-old who haven’t started school yet.
She developed a small swelling on her throat in 2014. She did not bother going for medical attention because she thought it was a family disease and she used local herbs to manage her goitre. In 2017/2018, her swelling increased, she started feeling severe pain, and she would find difficulty in breathing and carrying things. She could hardly carry anything on her head. She suffer headaches during rainfall and cold weather.
Finally, she decided to come to Watsi’s Medical Partner Care Center Rushoroza Hospital to seek medical advice. If not treated through thyroidectomy, she could develop thyrotoxicosis, airway obstruction, difficulty in swallowing and may develop into thyroid carcinomas.
Their family has no other sources of income despite having a lot to take care of on their shoulders and have asked for financial support to enable her surgery.
Tumukunde shared, “I pray that I may be considered for the surgery because, without financial support, it’s impossible. After the surgery, I look forward to practicing extensive farming to be able to comfortably support my expanding family, and without pain, I believe I can make it.”
