Kiiza is a 39-year-old farmer from western Uganda. He is a married father of four. Kiiza’s children are currently in school, with the firstborn in grade 7 and his last born in baby class.
For the last five years, Kiiza has had a swelling on his abdomen just above the umbilicus. The swell has continuously become painful, especially when he does strenuous activities such as digging or lifting heavy loads. This has limited his ability to work optimally in the farm and affected his day to day activities.
Kiiza had never been to the hospital before to seek care for this condition, citing that the pain was initially mild and that he faced financial constraints. However, recently, he had bouts of severe pain and decided to visit Watsi’s Medical Partner Nyakibale Hospital. Kiiza was reviewed by the medical team and scan results indicate that he had a lipoma, or a fatty tumor located below the skin. He requires a mass excision procedure to remove the lipoma and to ultimately improve his quality of life.
However, this procedure is costly for Kiiza and his family. When he was younger, he did not proceed with his education after primary school. As a result, he worked as a casual laborer, and saved his money to start a small retail shop. Unfortunately, he shared with us that at one point he was attacked and decided to abandon the venture. Currently, together with his wife, Kiiza is a farmer. With limited income, the family is not able to raise the funds needed for his surgery and are appealing for financial support.
Fortunately, on December 22nd, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $196 to fund his procedure.
Kiiza shared, “I hope to recover from this condition once I undergo my surgery and continue with farming to provide for my family.”
