29-year-old Francis lives in a village in Kenya, working in a small retail shop. He studied film making in college, but has so far been unable to find work in this area of study.
Francis has been facing a tough battle with chronic kidney disease since 2018, a challenge that arose from high blood pressure and eventually led to kidney failure in 2019. To help his body manage excess fluids, he began dialysis treatments twice a week. Unfortunately, these sessions come with significant discomfort and pain due to the temporary catheter that is used for the procedure.
Francis sought help from a surgeon at our medical partner’s care center, AIC Kapsowar Hospital, who recommended a new approach: creating a connection between veins and arteries in his forearm. With the support of the medical team through the national health insurance, he successfully underwent surgery. However, despite this hopeful start, his fistula did not fully develop as his veins were weakened from frequent needle insertions during dialysis. During his recent check-up, it was found that his fistula was not functioning properly, and he was advised to have a new one created.
This time, the surgeon is able to create a different type of connection using a larger vein and artery. With the help of our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, Francis is scheduled for this important procedure on January 15th at AIC Kapsowar Hospital. Francis needs your help to raise $1,127 to fund this procedure, which will help make his dialysis sessions more comfortable and reduce the chances of complications, giving him a better quality of life.
Francis says: “I’ve been having dialysis twice a week with a temporary catheter for almost six months now, and it causes a lot of discomfort. A fistula would be so much more efficient and reduce my risk of complications. Please help me get this surgery, so that I can start experiencing smoother dialysis sessions and a better quality of life.”