By My Health Reporter
With a playful chuckle, Hawi Omino moved from one side of the bed to the other.
At a glance, one cannot tell that the two-and-a-half-year-old has been to hell and back in an ordeal that saw Kenyan doctors declare him as good as dead.
But the undying love, courage and determination of his mother Bella Omino and the prayers and support of family and friends have seen him miraculously overcome death.
Hawi’s birth was the happiest moment of Bella’s life, but the joy was short-lived when five months later, he was diagnosed with a life threatening condition called biliary atresia.
Trouble began when little Hawi suffered from prolonged jaundice and fever, which could not subside.
"As I took him to hospital, I thought it was a normal ailment so the paediatrician ordered a blood test and gave him an injection to fight the fever," says Bella.
That night, Hawi started bleeding from the spots where he had been injected and blood drawn, so he was rushed back to hospital.
The medics casually informed Bella that Hawi had chronic liver disease and recommended he be admitted for advance examination.
The scans revealed that Hawi had a cyst, which was blocking bile flow to the liver and surgery was required.
"I was devastated, but I decided that whatever was ailing my son was not going to kill him" says Bella, a lawyer turned marketer.
"The first surgeon came after four days, looked at Hawi’s charts, questioned me and left without saying anything, but he was overheard saying that no amount of surgery would add any value to Hawi’s life," Bella recalls.
Disappointed but hopeful, Bella welcomed the second surgeon, who told her to narrate Hawi’s medical history, but quickly left after a phone call.
Later, the same surgeon returned and with no apologies, proceeded to review the scan as Bella repeated her son’s medical history. He then interjected saying he needed a radiologist to interpret the scans.
"If I open up the boy, he could dies," the surgeon told Bella.
As he discharged them, he sought to know who would pay for the surgery, as the insurance would not cover a pre-existing condition.
"As a mother, the last thing you want to hear is the person charged with your child’s care telling you that he could die in such a casual and heartless tone," says Hawi’s mother.
Discouraged by the uncaring attitude of Kenyan medics, Bella sought help from India.
The doctors there were receptive and offered a solution. Within two weeks, Bella and her son were in India for Hawi’s first surgery.
Unfortunately, during surgery, doctors detected extensive liver damage and recommended a transplant.
Bella was referred to a liver surgeon at a different facility in Delhi who was positive about Hawi’s chances of recovery. He worked closely with a paediatric gastroenterologist who was equally optimistic, finally giving Bella a ray of hope.
As luck would have it, Bella didn’t have to look far for a donor as tests on her showed 90 per cent compatibility with her son.
Bella and Hawi returned to Kenya to prepare for a four-month stay in Delhi, the time it would take to do the surgery and ensure there was no rejection of the liver.
Fortunately, Bella’s friends, family and employer quickly raised funds to cover the costs of the transplant and duration of stay in India.
At the end of June, Bella and Hawi returned to India to prepare for the surgery.
On July 21, 2009, the transplant was performed but 12 hours later, Hawi developed a clot in one of the transplanted arteries and had to undergo another operation.
A week later, disaster struck. Hawi was diagnosed with a heart problem and his intestine had ruptured causing fecal matter to leak into the abdomen.
The only solution for this was another surgery in spite of his fragile condition.
The surgery was successful and a week later, Hawi was out of ICU.
It’s been two years since the surgeries and Hawi looks as healthy as any boy his age.