Boy fights fatal disease, defies death

By JECKONIA OTIENO

Fifteen years ago, Debra Kemunto went to see a doctor who was attending to his son, Newton Ochoi.

A few months earlier, he had been diagnosed with sickle cell anaemia when he was just seven months old.

That day, as she sat pensively and hoped for encouraging words, the doctor gave a devastating prediction. The boy would not live to see his fifth birthday.

Newton Ochoi with his mother Debra Kemunto. [Photo: JECKONIA OTIENO/STANDARD]

"He said even if I sought treatment in the US, he would still die," Kemunto said as Ochoi sat on the sofa beside her at their home in Gesonso, a few kilometres from Kisii. He joins Form Two next month.

"I was scared. The doctor said boys rarely survive the disease," she added. She was dazed. So confused was she that she took the wrong matatu home.

Today, Ochoi, who is 16 years old, is testament to his resilience and desire to live. Sickle cell anaemia is a condition in which red blood cells develop a "sickle shape" or that of a crescent. As opposed to normal cells, which are disk shaped, the deformed ones are sticky and block blood flow through the veins and organs.

SWOLLEN FINGERS

The condition does cause death. Although Ochoi has to visit hospital so often, he has gallantly fought the disease whose symptoms showed up when he was seven months old.

Kemunto said she came home one day to find one of the boy’s fingers swollen.

She said: "I thought he had broken his finger, so I dabbed it with hot water. But I could see the child was experiencing excruciating pain."

She then massaged it with gel. She took the baby to hospital several times as the problem persisted. Later, he developed ear and eye infections. A doctor recommended a test for sickle cell anaemia, which turned out positive.

"I was given medicine and I came back home with my baby. But I was not told what the disease is all about," recalls Kemunto, who is the deputy head teacher at Nyanchwa Girls High School.

It was then that the doctor gave the gloomy verdict. But that only gave her more determination to seek help for her son.

Fellow teachers and members of staff gave her moral support.

Being sickly, Ochoi had to balance life between school, hospital and home. There was however another hurdle — most teachers did not and still do not understand what sickle cell anaemia really is. This has made the boy transfer from one school to the other.

BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS

He has had blood transfusions more than he can count. Yet, his will to fight on has not been dented.

His mother has always been accused of being so possessive because she tries to ensure he is comfortable. He has also faced difficult times with teachers.

He recalls one day when a teacher made disheartening remarks, asking him to stop pretending to be sick.

"I was asked when I would stop pretending to be sick and get down to serious studies. To some, I was just taking advantage of my condition not to concentrate in studies," he said.

After changing schools a number of times, Ochoi finally made it to one of the best public secondary schools in Kisii where he studied as a day scholar due to the need for intensive care.

However, this did not last long because when a new principal was posted to the school, day schooling was abolished.

Today, he studies at Nyanchwa Boys High School, where his mother can have ready access to him. Last May, Ochoi had an attack, which left him in hospital for a whole week. He said he is at times appalled when he meets nurses who seem to know very little about the disease.

Despite his condition, he hopes to make it through school and become a computer engineer.