On a gloomy Sunday afternoon six years ago, Francis Gathoiba Wambugu went to the shopping centre next to his house to buy a packet of maize flour.

He then got a call from his friends to meet at a local pub to hang out. Little did he know that this one decision was about to change his life forever.

He went to meet his friends and at around 3pm Francis decided it would be wise to head home. Unfortunately, the road he used was full of potholes that had filled up with water from the rain.

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As a result, as Francis was cycling home, he had an accident and fell into a drain. The fall was so bad that he had to be carried home in a wheelbarrow.

Like a typical Kenyan, Francis thought the pain caused by the fall could simply be washed away with some painkillers and sleep.

"I knew something was terribly wrong the next day when I could not feel my legs and hands. My brothers and sister rushed me to hospital, where I was admitted for three months and i was diagnosed with central spinal cord syndrome," he says.

During the three months, Francis was given medication and physiotherapy, and although he still couldn't feel his limbs, he seemed to be getting better.

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He was discharged and the doctor ordered him to continue physiotherapy sessions at home.

"Due to financial constraints, the physiotherapy sessions only lasted for a month and I was no longer able to access medical care," the 63-year-old painfully recalls.

His condition worsened and Francis has been bedridden for the past six years. The lack of mobility has caused his hands to wither.

For three years, his late mother dressed, bathed and fed him. The burden of seeing her son in this condition became too much for her and she eventually fell ill and died shortly afterwards.

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After his mother died, his sister, Esther Wambui Wanjiku, took over his care, which she continues to do today.
One of the biggest challenges they face is finances, making it difficult for the family to buy adult diapers, which Francis desperately needs.

Lack of money has also prevented Francis from receiving physiotherapy over the past six years.

"I haven't been able to get a steady job since the accident because I'm always looking after my brother. All I can do is odd jobs like washing clothes. The money from these jobs isn't enough to put food on the table, pay for my brother's treatment and buy adult diapers for him," said Esther.

"As a family, all we can hope for is help from well-wishers who can step in either through donations of adult diapers or through job offers so that I can pay for my brother's continued treatment," Esther Wanjiku concludes.

diligenceodongo@gmail.com

Family in Dundori seeks financial help to treat kin bedridden after a bicycle accident

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Diligence Odongo