Reunited years on after incomplete abortion

Nairobi; Kenya: Last week, Dr Lubano recounted how he recently bumped into a midwife while on duty at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) who reminded him of their first meeting in 2001, when he attended to her after she delivered a foetal head in the waiting room.

Here is a continuation of the story:

I did not think much of it until 2006 when, while performing my duties as a consultant obstetrician gynaecologist at KNH, I was approached by a nursing student in her first year. She introduced herself and asked to speak to me in private. I could barely recall her face.

She told me she was the patient who had delivered the foetal head and I had helped her to recover. She had gone back to school. She wanted to become a doctor but didn’t make the grade, so she chose nursing. She told me her name is Nasimiyu Wafula.

She said since her parents were old and weak, she used to do domestic chores at the Patel’s to raise her school fees. It was during this time that Patel and his two sons lured her into sexual encounters that were often non-consensual.

When she got pregnant, she wasn’t sure which of the three men was responsible. She informed each of them separately because they didn’t know they were sharing her. They all paid to have the pregnancy terminated despite her fears.

On the fateful July day, when the pregnancy was about eight months, she went to someone who took her to River Road. After a tormenting night, she was shown parts of a foetus and told to go to KNH. She doesn’t recall any other details.

At the time, she was worried about her future chances of delivery. I reassured her that she would be well taken care of.

At our recent meeting, the first thing she told me was that she was happily married and mother to twin babies — a boy and girl — who she named Katiba and Kizito. I was overwhelmed with the honour.

Many are not as lucky and may end up dead or unable to conceive.