Mater Heart Run saves twins born with holes in their hearts

By Maureen Odiwuor

Sleep is no longer a fairy tale in the house of Crispin and Pamela Sijen because of their twin daughters’ health complications since birth, having been diagnosed with holes in their hearts, 16 months ago.

Tears of joy overwhelm Crispin, the assistant chief of Got Osimbo sub-location, Ugenya Sigomere in Siaya County after his return from Nairobi where his children received treatment.

It is all thanks to his friends and family members who relentlessly sacrificed their hard-earned money to contribute towards the operation of the two little angels, Gloria Ber and Gracious Rieko.

Right diagnosis

The twins were born prematurely at seven and a half months, a common phenomenon that results in children having holes in the heart.

Their mother, Pamela, says since they were operated on June 12, this year, their life, which was a living nightmare, has turned into a haven of peace since the operation, which turned successful.

Pamela recounts how it took long for the right diagnosis to be performed on the children, despite being sickling from birth.

 “It took only two weeks after birth for the twins to be back in hospital due to their poor state of health. They were admitted at Milimani Hospital in Kisumu for five days,” says Pamela, adding that they had to be put on oxygen when they developed breathing complications. 

After their discharge from hospital the couple believed the children had healed until four months later when they fell ill again.

“Ber and Rieko were again admitted at Marie Stopes Hospital where they were found to be anaemic, with each respectively having haemoglobin of 6.3 and 5.8 grammes per litre,” said Pamela.

A blood transfusion was done then they were put on Ranfenal and pure Carls because the doctor assumed they also had rickets.

This, however, was just the beginning of a shocking revelation as it did not take long before the children were taken ill again and this time they were admitted at Tanaka Nursing Home on Busia- Kisumu road.

Costly affair

Once again they were put on drugs and while being monitored, the doctor suspected they had an orthopedic (skeletal system) problem and referred them to a retired Dr Hezron Odongo.

“We assumed that finally we had found the right diagnosis to what was ailing our children only to realise it was not the case after Dr Odongo suspected they had a heart problem,” she says.

Odongo disclosed the children had a serious problem and hence referred them to a paediatric cardiologist.

“We visited Dr Christine Jowi at Hurlingam Heart Clinic in Nairobi where a comprehensive Echo cardiogram was conducted and our fears confirmed,” Pamela notes.

Rieko was diagnosed with a small Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), with normal ventricle and atrium mildly dilated.

In PDA, abnormal blood flow occurs between two of the major arteries connected to the heart. Her sister Ber has a larger PDA with the left atrium dilated and measuring 2.9 centimetres.

The heart pricking revelation hit their father Sijen really hard.

“The tests alone cost Sh70,000, not to mention how much we used in and out of the hospital,” he reveals.

The doctor then told them their children needed treatment worth Sh1.2million, an amount that they were supposed to split with Mater Heart Run, the main sponsors.

Sijen is grateful to the Mater Hospital courtesy of the Mater Heart Run Fund, for their support since as a family, they only managed to raise over Sh230, 000.

Ber, whose condition was critical, underwent a coil embolisation where the device was inserted none-surgically in her ductus to close it, while Rieko was put under observation as her situation was better off.

 “After the operation, Ber has been sleeping, unlike before when she couldn’t and we would sleep in turns, taking care of her,” says a jubilant Sijen.