Kenya Days 5 & 6: Our Mission Marches On

By Tuesday, the team had found its footing, and the hospital moved with steady momentum. Operating rooms turned over steadily. Recovery areas filled and emptied. Families learned where to wait, how to ask questions, when to return.

Tuesday

During Sunday’s screening clinic, one of our team members, Truc Au, noticed a young mother struggling to breastfeed her child while waiting to be seen. Covered in oversized clothing, she appeared visibly undernourished and exhausted, and lifting her baby required visible effort. Truc stepped in quietly, helping support the infant and adjust positioning so the mother could feed her child with less strain.

The woman was evaluated that day and scheduled for surgery, which took place on Tuesday. Pathology later revealed lymphoma. Samples were sent for further analysis, but the disease is likely terminal. After surgery, she spent time recovering before returning to her child.

That afternoon, Dr. Hadley Wyre spoke with the hospital’s urologist, who divides his time between a private hospital in Nairobi and this county facility. He explained that while emergent cases are prioritized, elective cases across all departments are frequently delayed—sometimes for weeks, months, or years—as emergencies push them aside. Visiting surgical teams help relieve pressure not only for individual patients, but across the hospital system as a whole.

Nearby, Vincent was recovering after Dr. Carol Ann Aylward removed a cyst from his neck. When he arrived for surgery, the cyst had grown significantly since his screening, with increased fluid suggesting infection. His wound was packed, and he was kept overnight for monitoring. By Wednesday morning, Dr. Aylward examined the site, closed the wound, and confirmed that his recovery was progressing well. Vincent remained in the surgical ward and was expected to be discharged Thursday.

Elsewhere in the hospital, Milphar Momanyi was recovering after surgery. She had been admitted earlier in the week and underwent a hysterectomy performed by the visiting team. After the procedure, Dr. Traci Johnson and Dr. Wyre spoke with Milphar’s brother, a nurse at the hospital. They explained that he and Milphar had made a sound decision to proceed with the hysterectomy. The fibroid was exceptionally large—roughly the size of a 20-week pregnancy—and attempting to remove it while preserving the uterus would have been nearly impossible. Her dressing will remain in place for several days and will be removed before the team departs.

Wednesday

Wednesday morning focused on postoperative recovery and follow-up.

At 10:23 AM, Bravin Momanyi, age four, was resting in the post-operative area after a hydrocele repair performed by Dr. Wyre. He recovered quietly as staff monitored his vitals and family members remained close by. 

Later in the morning, part of the team visited a local school serving students in grades 1 through 9, with approximately 800 students and an average of 30 students per teacher. As our vehicles arrived, children were playing on a large soccer field nearby. They ran toward us, forming an informal line—each waiting patiently for a fist-bump or high-five. Laughing and giggling, they followed us up the drive toward the school buildings.

We met with the teachers and the deputy principal and then began CPR training with the staff while the children returned to play outside. Kelly Wolf, our pre- and post-op RN, demonstrated how to provide CPR to children and adults. Teachers practiced chest compressions using infant and adult training dummies, asking questions and taking turns as they worked through scenarios.

After the training, the entire school gathered outside for a demonstration. The children crowded in, laughing when the infant mannequin appeared. Before leaving, we distributed small toys to the youngest students, who accepted them carefully and with obvious appreciation.

Back at the hospital, recoveries continued. In the afternoon, Milphar Momanyi rested on a hospital bed positioned in the aisle between two rows of beds, the room crowded with patients. She was still groggy from surgery, but she smiled when asked how she was feeling and confirmed that she already felt better.

Patient Story: Evans

Later that afternoon, Evans was seen by Dr. Wyre. His brother, Bernard, accompanied him.

Evans worked in a quarry and previously worked at a tea factory. During the rainy season in 2023, the quarry collapsed, and soil and stones buried him. His younger brother, Dismas, dug him out.

Evans was rushed to the hospital, but treatment was delayed until payment could be arranged. Bernard—who works at a tea factory and supports his own wife and children—took on the responsibility of financing Evans’ care. He took out a loan and collected money from colleagues so treatment could begin. Kenyan hospitals are not required to provide emergency care without payment.

Surgery relieved pressure from Evans’ injuries, but he was left with a urethral stricture. Since then, he has relied on a suprapubic catheter that must be changed every two weeks—an ongoing financial burden. The injury has limited Evans to light work, though he has been able to walk again for about a year.

The loan Bernard took out totaled 750,000 Kenyan shillings—an amount that, in Kenya, represents far more than a medical bill. It is enough to support a household for many months, pay school fees for children, or cover rent, food, and basic necessities for an extended family. More than 550,000 shillings of that loan remains unpaid. Bernard continues to shoulder this strain while supporting his own wife and children. He explained that he stays steady because his family depends on him.

After surgery this week, Evans hopes to return gradually to more consistent work, even if limited to small jobs, to ease the burden his injury has placed on his family.

Closing

Some surgeries resolved long-standing problems. Others revealed diagnoses that could not be undone. Between operating rooms, recovery wards, and clinics, care moved forward through constant coordination—among surgeons, nurses, volunteers, patients, and families—each doing what they could with the resources available. Progress was sometimes measured in clear outcomes, sometimes in smaller steps, but always through shared effort and careful attention to one another. 

Tomorrow, the work continues.