Lydia is a small-scale farmer and a mother of seven. Her husband is also a small-scale farmer and their eldest child is now 50 years old. They own a four-room mud house and work hard to try to make ends meet for their family.
Over 20 years ago, Lydia began to experience troubling symptoms, including neck pains and a small swelling which she initially thought would disappear on its own but it did not. Currently, she suffers from airway obstruction and can no longer climb hills comfortably. She very much likes playing and dancing (traditional dances) with her grandchildren but no longer does so comfortably in her current condition. She was scheduled for a surgery appointment at Kabale Referral Hospital about four months ago, but had to cancel because she was unable to raise the funds for surgery. She has now come to Rushoroza Hospital to seek treatment for her multi-nodular goiter, which is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse.
Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Lydia receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on December 14th. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and Lydia and her family need help raising money.
Lydia says, “I hope to finally get relieved of the goitre through surgery because I have lived in this undesirable condition for quite long. I hope to continue with farming comfortably after my treatment.”
