When in 2011 Charity Kawee Muli noticed a small swelling under the gum on her lower jaw, she was not worried. Because the swelling was painless, she hoped everything would soon be well.
However, Muli, a resident of Mukonde Village, Mbooni Sub-County, in Makueni County, and the deputy headteacher at Kyangoma Primary School, decided to visit a nearby health facility for check-up. Since nurses were on strike, she didn’t get help. After moving from one one hospital to another, her nurse-sister advised her to visit Kijabe Hospital. She didn’t go immediately.
Three years later, the swelling grew bigger, changing the shape of her face. Doctors at Bishop Kioko Hospital in Machakos advised her to seek specialised treatment. Meanwhile, as she was preparing to seek specialised treatment, she got involved in a motorcycle accident in April 2014, which left her with serious injuries on the right leg.
She ended up in Kijabe Hospital. While undergoing an operation at Kijabe for leg injury, the doctors noticed the swelling in her jaw. A CT scan indicated that the swelling was mandibular tumour, popularly known as ameloblastoma (a tumour or swelling of the jaw that starts from around the teeth). The doctors advised her to recover fully from the leg surgery before undergoing another surgery to remove the tumour.
In May this year, Muli underwent a 15-hour surgery to remove the tumour.
According to Dr David Molen, the lead surgeon at Kijabe Hospital, mandibular tumour starts from around the teeth and can cause more problems as it gets bigger.
“Usually, it starts small and unnoticeable but over time, it can get very big and make it hard for people to eat and talk well. When they are large, people can have breathing problems. It is not a cancerous tumour; it is a benign growth, which needs to be removed before it grows big,” he said.
However, the most common sign is swelling of the jaw bone. The teeth around the swollen area also becomes loose.
Dr Nolen says if the patient fails to get early treatment, the tumour will continue to grow bigger and results in other complications. “It is advisable to see a doctor early when the tumour is still small. When it is detected early, it takes the patient a shorter time to recover.”
Though the surgery is costly, Muli luckily paid a subsidised fee, courtesy of Watsi, a US-based funding platform which connects donors with people in need of medical care around the world. Watsi has helped over 60 patients undergo surgeries at Kijabe Hospital since January this year.
Edward Muguthu, Watsi representative at Kijabe Hospital, said Watsi is based in three hospitals in Kenya: Kijabe, Nazareth and Bethany Kids.
“We assist patients who want surgical treatment but cannot raise the full amount. We pick patients based on their needs through the recommendations of surgeons. The surgeries have to be curative and urgent,” says Muguthu. Watsi covers general surgery, plastic surgery, orthopaedic cases and gynaecological issues.
After the patients have been identified, their profiles are posted to Watsi website and Good Samaritans around the world send in donations.
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