When Johnson Mwiti was diagnosed with kidney disease, his wife, Doreen
Kawira, donated one of her kidneys to him. PHOTO| JOY ABISAGI
Johnson Mwiti could not help but notice the lovely young woman
who would cheerfully serve him whenever he went to fuel his employer’s
car.
“I became a regular customer, just to see her, and then one day, I asked her out for lunch,” he says.
Doreen Kawira had also noticed Mwiti, and was attracted by his cool nature. After a couple of lunches, they started dating.
“I liked that he was dependable - he kept his word, and was also very caring and attentive to me,” Kawira says.
Sure
that this was the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, he
proposed just four months after their first date. She accepted, and he
took her to meet his mother. When they got his mother’s blessings, he
then proceeded to meet her parents, who had no reservations about their
friendship.
The couple moved in together in 2004, and later solemnised their union in church, in 2008.
“Our
marriage was good. My husband is a kind man, and would do anything
within his ability to keep me happy,” Kawira says, with an easy laugh
that seems to come naturally.
In
2010, Mwiti started getting constant headaches which would not go away,
even after taking pain killers. When he went to hospital, he was
diagnosed with high blood pressure and put on medication.
“At the time, my salary was barely enough to provide for my family and also pay for my medication. My illness became a burden.”
To
manage this additional burden, the couple decided that Kawira would
move to their small farm in the village, with their four children, and
start farming, to supplement their income.
“We
would talk daily. He would visit us on most weekends and over the
school holidays, the children and I would join him in the city.”
But
they were still struggling, and sometimes, Mwiti would skip medication
to make ends meet. During one of his weekend visits to the village,
Kawira noticed that his face and feet were swollen.
When
she pointed this out, he brushed her concern aside. One day, during
their usual telephone calls, he mentioned that he could not see
properly, but reassured Kawira that it could be the after-effects of his
medication.
She went to visit him in
the city soon afterwards, only to find him bedridden, his entire body
swollen, his sight almost gone. She immediately rushed him to Kenyatta
National Hospital, where he was admitted.
After a couple of tests, it was revealed that he had Kidney disease.
“End-stage
renal disease”, my test results read. The ominous words; End-Stage,
sounded quite scary, but I was hopeful that since there was a diagnosis,
then the disease could be treated.”
But
his hopes were dashed when his doctor disclosed the devastating truth
about his condition. There was no cure for end-stage renal disease. His
kidneys had completely failed, and he had only two options; dialysis for
life, which could not guarantee a quality life, and would drain him
financially, or a kidney transplant.
It
was a confusing time for the couple. Mwiti was the sole breadwinner,
they had four young children, their youngest still breastfeeding. What
would they do?
He stayed in hospital
for a month, undergoing dialysis until he was well enough to be
discharged. But there was a problem. The hospital bill had run to Sh400,
000, too much for this police officer’s payslip to settle.
“We
had moved into the private wing of KNH early on after my diagnosis
because it was the only way I could have accessed immediate dialysis
care, but my job group did not allow my medical provider to offset a
bill from the private wing,” he explains.
Though
he had been discharged, he could not be released until this bill was
settled. His National Hospital Insurance Fund, (NHIF) cover offset only
10 per cent of the bill. Desperate, Kawira called their close friends
and relatives, who readily chipped in, but the money was not enough to
secure Mwiti’s release from hospital.
'I WAS IN TURMOIL'
“I
was in turmoil. I would wander the corridors of KNH with our young baby
on my back, scrolling through my phone, calling anyone I could think
of. We had become beggars, relying on hand outs. Even getting bus fare
to hospital everyday was a problem, not forgetting our children needed
food,” Kawira recalls.
She says that
her mother was her greatest source of strength during that trying
period. When she realised that she would not be able to clear the
balance, Kawira went to see Mwiti’s senior bosses and explained her
predicament. One of them arranged for a meeting with the then Police
Commissioner, Mathew Iteere, who patiently listened to her. She could
hardly believe it when she walked out of his office with a letter of
undertaking, which immediately released her husband from hospital.
He
had to attend dialysis clinics twice a week though, and adhere to a
strict diet and continue with medication. However, his condition
continued to deteriorate, and by the end of 2012, he could no longer
pass urine.
“By then, he was unable
to walk or stand for more than a minute. I felt distraught, scared that I
was losing my husband,” Kawira says, reaching out to hold her husband’s
hand. He instinctively takes her hand and covers it with both of his.
“I was in turmoil, because I knew that I would never find another man who could love me or our children the way he did.”
The helplessness she felt was unbearable. It was clear that Mwiti was dying, and even he saw it.
“If I leave, please take care of our children. I feel as if the end is near,” he would sometimes tell her.
“There
was no joy in our home anymore. We still relied on him financially,
even though he was bedridden. Our children would go to him and ask for
money to buy something, like they had been used to all their life. He
did not have the money, but would promise to get it soon, and then he
would turn away so that they would not see his tears.”
For food, they relied on both their mothers, though sometimes, other relatives and friends would help them out.
One day, they got a call from Mwiti’s brother. He had volunteered to donate one of his kidneys! They did not waste time.
The
family organised a fund-raising in December 2012, which raised Sh500,
000, sufficient to carry out the procedure at KNH. But there was a
hitch.
HEART BREAKING PHONE CALL
There
was a long waiting list, and the earliest Mwiti could have the
procedure done was in a year’s time! But that did not deter them.
Mwiti’s brother underwent all the necessary tests, and as luck would
have it, the operation date was pushed forward.
But
then came a heart-breaking phone call from home. Mwiti’s brother had
changed his mind. He was no longer willing to be the kidney donor.
Mwiti’s
condition was now in a critical state. They had also used up most of
the Sh400, 000 they had raised on the medical tests for Mwiti’s brother.
One
morning in August 2013, Kawira woke up early, prayed like she usually
did, took a bath and dressed. She then informed Mwiti that she was going
to look for a job.
“We did not have
food, and I felt it was time I became the helper that my husband needed.
We lived at the Embakasi police lines, and the nearest place of
employment that came to mind was the airport,” Kawira says.
She
simply walked into the heart of JKIA, only to be arrested because she
had wondered into a controlled access zone. She broke down and told the
security officer who had stopped her, her story, and how desperately she
needed a job. He took her to his manager, and they both contributed
money, which was adequate to buy her family food for a week. Even
better, she was offered a cleaning job, and asked to start the following
day.
It was while working at the
airport that Kawira noticed some arriving passengers wearing dust masks.
Out of curiosity, she asked one of them why he had it on. He informed
her that he had just undergone a Kidney transplant in India. Without
hesitation, Kawira shared her husband’s story and asked for more
information.
Her inquisitive nature
paid off, because she also learned that a doctor from India was in the
country. She got the doctor’s contact and met him. She had with her
Mwiti’s medical documents.
“We had no
money and no donor, but I met him anyway. It was during this meeting
that I learned even I could donate my kidney, that not only blood
relatives could.”
She could hardly believe the good news, especially because she and her husband shared the same blood group.
She
immediately called him, and told him that if doctors gave her the go
ahead, she would donate her kidney to him – he abruptly said no.
Undeterred, she called her mother and told her what she intended to do,
but she too was against the idea. What if she too fell sick?
“It took a week to convince them both. My mother eventually came around, but Mwiti would hear nothing of it.”
The
three of them had a sit in, during which Mwiti finally agreed to allow
her to donate one of her kidneys to him. They also learned that being a
civil servant, as long as one had a donor, NHIF would pay for the
transplant. They settled for India.
From that point onwards, things moved quickly.
They
got all the prerequisite travel documents, and within a short time,
they were in India for the operation. They saw each other three days
later after the operation. Kawira recalls Mwiti’s expression when he saw
her. It was fearful.
“My wife!” he exclaimed, “Are you fine? Are you in pain?” She says, laughing.
The change in Mwiti was incredible. His natural colour was back, his body less swollen.
They
were discharged seven days later, but had to stay on for three more
weeks for observation. They put up at a self-catering hotel.
“During
this time, we bonded more than we have ever done before. Before, I
would never have imagined helping out in the kitchen, but since we were
both recuperating, we had to help each other. We cooked together and
took care of each other.”
It is over a year since that life-saving operation, and the couple is doing well.
SECOND LEASE
Says Kawira,
“I feel as I did before the surgery - healthy and strong. I would even get another baby now if Mwiti says yes!” She jokes.
Mwiti looks at his wife and says;
“I don’t know of any way that I can ever repay your kindness. Only God can reward you, you gave me a second lease of life.”
Mwiti’s
health is back on track. He resumed work and is no longer on dialysis,
though he will be on medication for life, and will have to go through
regular tests to monitor his kidney. Kawira does not require any
medication.
“Other than my medication and tests, which continue to put a strain on our finances, we are doing fine,” Mwiti says.
The medication costs Sh30, 000 a month, while the monthly tests costs Sh7, 000.
After staring death in the face, Mwiti has one wish;
“There
should be free and accessible medication for renal patients. Most
Kenyans don’t earn enough to provide their basic needs, so where will
they get the money to buy daily expensive medication?”
Kawira lost her job when she travelled to India, and has been looking for another one to supplement her husband’s income.
We ask her what motivated her to donate her kidney to her husband.
“We
have gone through a lot together. He is my friend, and we have a
wonderful relationship. I did not want to lose him. Besides, there is a
reason why God gave us one heart, and two kidneys.”
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