By Alex Kiprotich
Seated in groups of three, the students engage in discussions as they prepare to do physics presentation.
The discussions are animated as each of the students contributes and justifies the answer to the groupmates.
And as the teacher walks in, the discussions come to an abrupt end. One could hear a pin drop as silence engulfs the Form Two class at Embakasi Garrison Secondary School.
The teacher picks students randomly for presentations and calls out Vincencia Awuor.
- Vincencia Awuor with her aunt Beatrice Omoro. She shows her swollen abdomen. [PICTURES: ALEX KIPROTICH] |
When she stands up, one would wonder why the school is keeping a pregnant girl in school.
Nevertheless, she moves forward to the blackboard and takes a chalk from the teacher as some students whisper among themselves.
Unbeknown to many, Awuor is not pregnant but suffers from a liver ailment that has led to her present condition that has made her an object of ridicule.
Strong personality
The 17-year-old whose parents are deceased says the stigma associated with her condition is at times too much to bear.
"Those who do not understand my condition ridicule me and some even make comments to my face that I am pregnant," she says.
She adds, "At times even going to where people are is difficult because the only thing they will focus on is my bulging stomach."
Her class teacher Lydiah Murar says had it not been for her strong personality, Awuor would have dropped out of school long ago.
"You can imagine what she goes through while socialising with other students who do not understand her condition," says Murar.
According to her guardian Beatrice Omoro, signs of the teen’s ailment were noted in December 2008.
Omoro said they realised something was wrong when Awuor’s stomach started protruding while in Class Eight at Shibuye Girls Boarding in Kakamega.
"We assumed it was part of growing up but when her legs also became swollen, we suspected she was pregnant," she says.
Omoro said they started questioning her about the development.
"I did not tell her that I suspected she was pregnant but she never vomited, which would have confirmed my fears," says Omoro, who works at a travel agency as consultant.
She secretly monitored Awuor, praying that she was not pregnant because it would have disappointed her given that she was sacrificing the little she had to educate her. In 2009, she noticed that the swollen left leg had developed blisters that would burst and become wounds.
Omoro was not alone in thinking that Awuor was pregnant. The school administration was also concerned about the bulging abdomen and called her to school and advised them to investigate and ascertain to them that Awuor was not pregnant.
"Acting on the headteacher’s advise, we brought her to Nairobi and took her to St Mary’s Hospital for medical examination. A scan on her abdomen showed that her liver was swollen," she says.
She says they were referred to Kenyatta National Hospital liver clinic.
"She started attending the KNH liver clinic in September 2009 where many tests were done including liver functionality, chest X-ray, abdominal CT-scan, Hepatitis B, HB viral load and several biopsy tests," she says.
In the same month, she was admitted at KNH for a biopsy where the result was inconclusive.
"We thus decided to do several biopsies at Hurlingham Medical Centre, whose diagnosis was hepatic adenomas that is non-malignant," she says.
Diverse opinions
They went back to KNH where they carried out two open biopsies.
"The first was non-conclusive and the second found no evidence of malignancy and they concluded it was bland spindle cell," says Omoro.
She adds, "During this period we were consulting doctors from Nairobi Hospital."
Omoro says the struggle to find medication for Awuor has also taken them to the Armed Forces Memorial Hospital through the assistance of Awuor’s current school, Embakasi Garrison.
On six occasions, the Form Two girl has been admitted to KNH ready for operation only to be discharged because of doctors’ diverse opinions.
"It has been a life of uncertainty. When I am admitted and I am prepared psychologically for the operation only to be told to go home, I am at loss at what the future holds," says the ever-smiling Awuor, who wants to be a surgeon.
Two months ago, she was admitted at KNH for observation after she developed difficulty in breathing, became dizzy and had abdominal and back pains.
"I was later released but attended the clinic again for observation," she says.
The doctors have advised that it is only in India or US where Awuor can undergo an operation. They have said it cannot be done in Kenya because of the equipment and the highly specialised personnel needed.
To go to India, it will cost the family at least Sh2.8m while in the US it costs Sh4m.
"This is beyond my reach and I am saddened to see the young girl suffer silently in shame when people who do not understand her situation say she is pregnant," says Omoro.
Awuor is optimistic that things will be better some day.
"My friends have at least understood me but it really bothers me that all the time people look at me with questioning eyes. If only they knew I am not pregnant but need their help," she says.
For those who want to help Vincencia Awuor, Contact Beatrice Omoro on 0721 882658 or email, benti79@yahoo.com
Account No. Vincencia Awuor Medical Fund, Barclays Bank Nairobi West branch. A/C No. 2022997206
-end
