Bekelech, who is 40 years old, is a housewife from Ethiopia, who dedicates all of her time to caring for her family. Her husband works as a government employee. Bekelech and her husband have two children; a 15-year-old son in Grade 10 and a 10-year-old daughter in Grade 4.
Three years ago, Bekelech began to experience troubling symptoms, including intense pain in the center of her abdomen, discomfort after eating fatty foods, and physical exhaustion. Doctors evaluated Bekelech, and diagnosed her with cholecystitis, an infection of the gallbladder. They recommended a cholecystectomy, which is surgery to remove the gallbladder.
Bekelech’s health has been steadily deteriorating, and she has tried to push through the pain, in part because the family could not afford the care that she needs, and because Bekelech was afraid of having surgery.
As her symptoms worsened, Bekelech sought treatment support from our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital. She and her family are requesting for $900 to cover the cost of her procedure. The surgery is scheduled to take place on August 16th.
Bekelech says: “I dream of getting my health back, so I can take care of my children, support my family with a clear mind and a healthy body, and return to my daily life with new strength, happiness, and peace of mind.”