SOS! KCSE Candidate Who Uses Oxygen Mask Pleads For Help From Well-Wishers
Lucy Mumbi, a Kenyan mother from Juja, whose 18-year resilient journey of raising a disabled child mirrors the daily challenges that many other parents in similar situations face.
She is the mother of Terry Charity, an 18-year-old who is currently taking the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KCSE) while wearing an oxygen mask.
Lucy knew when her daughter was born with scoliosis that she would never be able to walk on her own and would have to rely on her for the rest of her life.
Terry’s life was not significantly improved by a realignment surgery in 2013, and her condition has since reverted.
As thousands of KCSE candidates sit their exams comfortably across the country, Terry Charity, a student at King David Junior and Secondary School in Juja Kiambu County, battles through her papers with an oxygen cylinder and tubes fitted to aid her breathing.
— KBC Channel1 News (@KBCChannel1) November 7, 2024
Susan Wambui, the… pic.twitter.com/OP37gL4OBZ
Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that is typically diagnosed in adolescents, but Lucy’s daughter has had the condition since birth.
Her spine curves forward, making her unable to walk because her legs cannot support her weight.
Lucy, on the other hand, claims that her daughter has consistently received good grades despite having to miss school several times a year to visit hospitals.
Terry, an 18-year-old candidate, has gotten through school with ease.
Her weak bones have frequently caused larger problems, particularly when they break or fracture, forcing her to miss school.
Fortunately, her condition does not affect the use of her hands, so she can easily write and take exams on her own.
Lucy stated that she has had three such incidents in the recent past, including breaking her legs twice and breaking her arm, which kept her out of school for over a month.
Things took a turn for the worse in January of this year when she was diagnosed with a heart condition that required oxygen 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Exam Candidate On Oxygen:
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) November 7, 2024
Terry Charity writing her KCSE hooked to an oxygen cylinder
Terry is abled differently and writes exam in special exam room
Terry’s condition got worse in the last part of 2023
Terry has overcome many challenges in her education journey… pic.twitter.com/Hc27lN7j5F
Doctors told Lucy that her daughter had pulmonary pressure, but she has been unable to see the cardiologist to whom she was referred at Kenyatta National Hospital for a definitive diagnosis due to a lack of funds.
The latter has been the most difficult aspect of raising Terry for Lucy and her husband.
From hospital fees to commuting to school, buying medication, and purchasing special fruits and vegetables for her while bills pile up.
Lucy, a casual worker, has also had to be the sole breadwinner because Terry’s father has had to stay at home with him and assist with the oxygen machines.
Terry relies on machines that are plugged into electricity during the day and night, which means that his electricity bill is often very high.
Terry uses a portable cylinder for travel, which also requires a significant amount of refilling.
A regular monthly electricity bill for powering medical equipment costs around Ksh13,000.
Because of the oxygen devices she requires, every trip to the hospital from their home in Juja to Gatundu must be by ambulance, which costs around Ksh6,000 per trip.
Susan Wambui, the Kiambu Huduma Centre coordinator, has rallied her friends and community members to make this period as stress-free as possible for the candidate and her mother.
Her parents are confident that the results of her examination will be impressive enough to take her place.
“I would like to tell Kenyans to help us so that the child can get better treatment because we know that when she finishes her KCSE she will score good marks. We also hope she will receive a scholarship to university,” Lucy said.
SOS! KCSE Candidate Who Uses Oxygen Mask Pleads For Help From Well-Wishers
