Beatrice is a 54-year-old devoted mother and lifelong farmer. For most of her life, Beatrice has relied on her own hands. She cultivated maize, vegetables, and sweet potatoes, selling part of each harvest to feed her family and educate her children. She and her husband currently have four children and also endured the painful loss of two others. Although her children are now adults, Beatrice hoped to remain active on the farm and continue contributing to the household. Instead, illness has separated her from the work she loves. She can no longer cultivate crops, carry water from the stream, or manage ordinary household duties. A woman who once produced food for others must now rely on relatives and well-wishers for basic necessities.
In 1990 Beatrice first noticed a small swelling around her navel during her first pregnancy. She believed it was a normal pregnancy-related change and expected it to disappear after delivery. Instead, it remained and slowly enlarged over the years. Recently, however, the swelling has increased rapidly and became much more uncomfortable. At a nearby dispensary, she was given pain medication and advised that the swelling might resolve if she gained weight, but the problem continued to worsen. By the time she sought further care, walking, sleeping, farming, collecting water, and controlling her bladder had all become increasingly difficult.
Beatrice has been diagnosed with an umbilical hernia, which is a tissue bulge in the belly button area that occurs due to a weak spot in the abdominal wall. Apart from the physical symptoms, the condition has also affected her only dependable source of income. Without being able to farm, she struggles to obtain food, meet household needs, or save towards treatment.
Fortunately, our medical partner, IcFEM Dreamland Mission Hospital, is helping Beatrice receive treatment. On July 29th, she will undergo hernia repair surgery to improve her health and enable her to resume her daily duties, including farming. Now, Beatrice needs help to fund this $696 procedure.
She says, “I had reached a point where I thought this illness would take my life, because I had no money for treatment. Farming has always been my strength and the way I cared for my family. I believe that after surgery, I will be able to stand again, return to my farm, and rebuild the life this illness has taken away from me.”