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Coast top pupil in the 2018 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations, Mary Kamanthe Mutua, has passed on.
Mary who scored 415 marks out of the possible 500 died at 5.59 pm on Tuesday at the Coast Province General Hospital (CPGH) after battling with bone marrow cancer.
Ailment
According to her father, Mr Josephat Mutua, Mary’s condition was discovered roughly three weeks before she sat for her final exams.
Both her parents kept the diagnosis a secret until she finished her exams to avoid stressing her out.
Immediately after, they revealed the results to her and even though she was disappointed, Mary made up her mind to stay strong.
“I will fight this disease. I will achieve my dreams of becoming a doctor. I want to help other children suffering from cancer," she said as she laughed her heart out heartily.
"I thank Kenyans, my parents and friends for praying for me and standing by me. It is now my turn to fight,” she said.
Medical Appeal
She needed funds to enable her get much-needed advanced treatment in India, but unfortunately, her parents could not afford it.
Kenyan well-wishers, however, came together after news of her ailment went viral and was able to raise more than Sh700,000 for her treatment.
Mary and her parents flew to India and was started on chemotherapy but were unfortunately forced to fly back when funds ran out.
Her father explained that she continued with chemo at Aga Khan Hospital, Mombasa, where her health improved over her first, second and third cycle but unfortunately started deteriorating in her fourth cycle.
“She was okay after the first, second and third cycles. In fact, during the second cycle she was improving and even managing my shop. But in the fourth cycle she started getting worse. She began vomiting and feeling dizzier and more sickly. She could not swallow anything as she had wounds in her mouth and throat. Water was her only food."
Mary’s Passing
On developing mouth and throat infection, she was taken to Coast Province General Hospital (CPGH) where tests revealed Mary had low blood and platelet count.
Her father who went out in search of a donor was phoned and informed that Mary had been transferred to the ICU after her condition worsened. She passed on thereafter.
Mary was the first born and only girl out of Mr Josephat Mutua’s three children.
Our sincere condolences to the family!
