Joyce Ong’ombe, a woman grappling with unimaginable loss, is fighting for her life at Kenyatta National Hospital after a gas boiler explosion during a holiday in Mombasa.
The incident marks the latest in a series of tragedies that have claimed all six members of her family over the past 14 years.
Ong’ombe and her daughter, Geogin Aoko, were in Mombasa for the December holidays when their rented apartment turned into a scene of disaster.
On December 31, as they prepared breakfast, a water heater exploded, showering them with hot water.
Ong’ombe sustained 40 per cent burns, while her daughter suffered 60 percent burns.
They were immediately referred to Kenyatta National Hospital for treatment.
Tragically, Aoko succumbed to her injuries early this week, leaving Ong’ombe as the sole survivor of her family, now battling for her own life in the hospital.
This devastating incident adds to a string of tragedies that began in 2010, when Ong’ombe’s husband and two sons perished in flash floods in Narok while traveling back to Nairobi from a holiday.
Three years later, she lost both parents to natural causes.
The family is now appealing for financial and blood donations to support Ong’ombe as she fights to recover.
