A Grandmothers Fight - Uganda
Donation protected
Anyone who knows me knows I'm all about family. It just so happens that my family is from Uganda, otherwise known as the Pearl of Africa.
“Low-income countries experience poor availability of essential medicines in health facilities, substandard-quality treatments, frequent stock-outs and suboptimal prescription and use of medicines,” says the world health body - UN
In many ways, Uganda is truly a beautiful country but just like other African countries it fails in providing its people with sufficient, affordable medical services.
"Since its only external beam radiotherapy machine broke in April 2016, Ugandans having been dying of treatable cancers." -Katie G. Nelson
How does this all relate?
Stella Gidagui - My beautiful grandmother (jjaja) 74 years young, a dedicated scout has devoted the past 25 years of her life to changing the lives of those less fortunate. Living in Nabweya a remote village in the Eastern Ugandan District, Mbale where she offers free pre-school education from her rustic, private compound nestled in the foothills to local children most in need.
Jjaja with students of 'Kisakye' (God's Grace) pre-school
Back in 2013 when I volunteered at the school for 5 months
Indoor air pollution is a massive public health problem across the world. That is because three billion people are thought to cook and heat their homes with open fires and simple stoves burning wood, animal dung, crop waste (known as biomass) and coal.
'The most recent data we have shows that 490,000 to 760,000 Africans died due to inhaling cooking smoke in 2015.'
(Jjaja preparing porridge for breakfast as most of her students leave home without)
Beautiful learners having a breakfast before class
Early 2012, Jjaja was diagnosed with cancer thought to be directly linked to years of smoke exposure. None of us would have thought that preparing free school meals would later result in several debilitating chemotherapy sessions for her. Thankfully the chemo worked and Jjaja was in remission for 4 years, back to her daily gardening and many charitable causes.
Unfortunately this year after a routine check-up, hospital scans appeared to show:
Pancreatic Head Mass
Pancreatic Duct Dilatation
Mild Ascites
Intra Hepatic Billary Obstruction
In layman’s terms, my Jjajas' cancer has returned and now the fight is on!
The Cost?
Article after article details the agonising two year wait for the Ugandan government to replace the broken radiotherapy machine with a brand new 'state of the art' Cobalt 60. This one machine, services on average 120 patients a week, well only those who are able to afford the treatment.
I hope you can begin to imagine the uphill struggle that Ugandan cancer sufferers face.
In addition to this we have to make full payments for each prescribed medication before any treatment can be authorised. Like my grandma, most patients suffer a loss of appetite requiring alternative food supplements of which Uganda rarely supplies. For us this means having to purchase from the UK and personally fly them in. Growing up with the access to the NHS, it is truly upsetting to know of the conditions my grandmother is in and that there's not much we can do to improve them.
How can you help?
In an ideal world, as a family we'd love to fly my grandmother to a state of the art institution to receive the best care possible. However in her current bed ridden state that would not be the wisest of decisions. We really want to keep my grandmother in familiar surroundings, close to loved one most importantly my Grandpa James Gidagui (aka the love of her life). Any kind gesture would mean the World to us as a family, lightening the burden of the costs of private specialized treatment, medication, transportation to and fro etc, would really aid us in our efforts to saving Jjaja's life!
(From left to right) James, Stella and the late Guga
James & Stella recent wedding anniversary photo shoot (Cayuute!)
How much are we trying to raise?
We're aiming to raise £10,000 to ensure the correct treatment can be made readily available aswell as ensuring my grandmother can have all she needs and more as she fights this cancer head on! Whatever you can give would really support her fight at this stage, no gift is too small or simple to receive.
Thank you for your time,
From our family to yours.
Jjaja reading her bible - her favourite past time
"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:19
“Low-income countries experience poor availability of essential medicines in health facilities, substandard-quality treatments, frequent stock-outs and suboptimal prescription and use of medicines,” says the world health body - UN
In many ways, Uganda is truly a beautiful country but just like other African countries it fails in providing its people with sufficient, affordable medical services.
"Since its only external beam radiotherapy machine broke in April 2016, Ugandans having been dying of treatable cancers." -Katie G. Nelson
How does this all relate?
Stella Gidagui - My beautiful grandmother (jjaja) 74 years young, a dedicated scout has devoted the past 25 years of her life to changing the lives of those less fortunate. Living in Nabweya a remote village in the Eastern Ugandan District, Mbale where she offers free pre-school education from her rustic, private compound nestled in the foothills to local children most in need.
Jjaja with students of 'Kisakye' (God's Grace) pre-school Back in 2013 when I volunteered at the school for 5 monthsIndoor air pollution is a massive public health problem across the world. That is because three billion people are thought to cook and heat their homes with open fires and simple stoves burning wood, animal dung, crop waste (known as biomass) and coal.
'The most recent data we have shows that 490,000 to 760,000 Africans died due to inhaling cooking smoke in 2015.'
(Jjaja preparing porridge for breakfast as most of her students leave home without)Beautiful learners having a breakfast before classEarly 2012, Jjaja was diagnosed with cancer thought to be directly linked to years of smoke exposure. None of us would have thought that preparing free school meals would later result in several debilitating chemotherapy sessions for her. Thankfully the chemo worked and Jjaja was in remission for 4 years, back to her daily gardening and many charitable causes.
Unfortunately this year after a routine check-up, hospital scans appeared to show:
Pancreatic Head Mass
Pancreatic Duct Dilatation
Mild Ascites
Intra Hepatic Billary Obstruction
In layman’s terms, my Jjajas' cancer has returned and now the fight is on!
The Cost?
Article after article details the agonising two year wait for the Ugandan government to replace the broken radiotherapy machine with a brand new 'state of the art' Cobalt 60. This one machine, services on average 120 patients a week, well only those who are able to afford the treatment.
I hope you can begin to imagine the uphill struggle that Ugandan cancer sufferers face.
In addition to this we have to make full payments for each prescribed medication before any treatment can be authorised. Like my grandma, most patients suffer a loss of appetite requiring alternative food supplements of which Uganda rarely supplies. For us this means having to purchase from the UK and personally fly them in. Growing up with the access to the NHS, it is truly upsetting to know of the conditions my grandmother is in and that there's not much we can do to improve them.
How can you help?
In an ideal world, as a family we'd love to fly my grandmother to a state of the art institution to receive the best care possible. However in her current bed ridden state that would not be the wisest of decisions. We really want to keep my grandmother in familiar surroundings, close to loved one most importantly my Grandpa James Gidagui (aka the love of her life). Any kind gesture would mean the World to us as a family, lightening the burden of the costs of private specialized treatment, medication, transportation to and fro etc, would really aid us in our efforts to saving Jjaja's life!
(From left to right) James, Stella and the late Guga James & Stella recent wedding anniversary photo shoot (Cayuute!)How much are we trying to raise?
We're aiming to raise £10,000 to ensure the correct treatment can be made readily available aswell as ensuring my grandmother can have all she needs and more as she fights this cancer head on! Whatever you can give would really support her fight at this stage, no gift is too small or simple to receive.
Thank you for your time,
From our family to yours.
Jjaja reading her bible - her favourite past time"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:19
Organizer
Isabella Mukasa
Organizer
England
