Before my three girls, Thelma Robina, Jaynen Juliana and Amanda Akula were conceived, I was a wealthy woman. I used to import clothes and had several shops in Kisumu.
Their conception was a surprise to me as I had gone to hospital thinking I had malaria only to have an ultrasound show that not only was I pregnant but I was carrying triplets.
It took me a whole month to come to terms with these news but when I did, I decided to go on with my business as usual.
When I went for clinic at 24 weeks I felt so exhausted and was swelling everywhere. My gynaecologist told me to stop what I was doing and take full bed rest.
Being a business woman, that was going to be difficult for me and I lied to him that I would do as he said.
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In hindsight, I wish I paid attention to this advise.
It was close to the Christmas holidays, which is peak season for the clothes business, and I felt I could not miss out. So against my doctor’s recommendations, I went out of the country to bring in clothes for sale and when I came back, I had a backache.
I took two days to rest then went back to my business. I kept on working but had to see the doctor when I started getting abdominal pains.
I was sent for a second scan and things were not looking good. My doctor wanted to admit me but I refused.
This was December 18, the peak of our business, and I pleaded with him to let me go home with a promise that I was going to rest.
All was well until January 18, 2015 when I felt a sharp pain and was rushed to hospital. The doctor told me the babies were coming out and I was immediately admitted at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital. I was 27 weeks pregnant. I was told their survival rate was 50-50 and that they would be very small.
The doctors tried their best to delay the delivery but on January 24, they were born via ceaseran section.
When I first saw my children, I was terrified and refused to touch them. They were so tiny, each weighing less than a kilo. I had to go through counselling to even start expressing milk for them.
It was a tough time watching as my small babies fought for their lives and we stayed in hospital for three months. A few weeks after we were discharged, my husband’s contract job ended.
My business was also not doing well since I had to stay home and take care of our delicate children but we did the best we could.
When I started to wean the babies, I noticed they were not feeding normally. They started losing weight, crying during feeding, vomiting and sweating.
We were advised to take them for an echogram — an ultra sound that picks up echoes of sound waves as they bounce off different parts of your heart.
The test was done at Kenyatta National Hospital and it was here we found out that our children had a congenital heart condition known as Patent Ductus Arteriosus. They each had a hole in their heart.
We were told Robina’s was 0.4mm, Juliana’s was 0.56cm and Akula had a 0.4cm opening. It was this that was hampering their growth and on their first birthday, they could easily have passed for six month old babies.
As though things were not bad enough, my struggling business took a turn for the worse after my sales people stole my stock when I was in hospital and what was left was stolen by house girls. My business eventually went under and I found myself with over six months rent arrears.
Sometimes all we had was Sh10 and despite having children who were sick, some people could not believe we were in need.
People mocked us when we begged for their assistance. They thought I wanted to raise money to revive my business yet we were seeking funds to have our children undergo life-saving surgery.
Finally in February this year, my husband and I decided to approach The Standard newspaper to help us by publishing our plight and appeal for assistance.
Our story was published on February 24 and we immediately started receiving calls from the country’s major hospitals. They all wanted to conduct surgery on my children, free of charge. We settled for The Nairobi Hospital.
Today the girls are doing very well. They can now all walk, they have gained weight and are meeting their developmental milestones.
I have now embarked on rebuilding my business and will forever be grateful to The Standard and Nairobi Hospital who gave our family a new lease of life.
