Paralysed woman charts her way out of pain through craft, music

Monicah Muthoni and her mother Eunike Njoki chat outside their house in Tumaini, Rongai, Kajiado County. [Jacinta Mutura, Standard]

"I was in school at that time and changing diapers was quite challenging, worsened by the challenge of accessibility. Some toilets were inaccessible and I could end up with diapers for long hours," she narrates.

That left her with pressure sores on her buttocks and contracted infections that saw her hospitalised for four months.

The wounds are recurrent and she has to treat them occasionally.

A specialist doctor has now advised her that she would need to have a bladder diversion through surgery to help her drain the bladder without complications.

The procedure termed Mitrofanoff helps people to drain urine from the bladder through a surgically created opening in the belly through which one can urinate by using a catheter.

"I was told the tube can be made from the appendix or the small intestines and connected to the bladder," Muthoni says.

According to her doctor, the procedure could have lifelong risks.

"The complexity of the surgery will complicate my ability to carry pregnancy and to give birth because I can only deliver through Caesarean Section due to the spinal injury that limits vaginal delivery. If the surgery is done, I will have to forgo my desire to have a child," says Muthoni.

Buying the diapers is also costly for the family.

"A packet of diapers costs Sh1,650 and it can't last even a week but I need a lot of them to prevent getting infections. But I can't afford them because I don't have a job," says Muthoni, adding that she is prone to infections during her monthly periods.

According to her, the surgery should be done as soon as she raises the Sh700,000, which has also proved difficult for the family.

Monica Muthoni displays some of the ornaments she has made for sale to earn a livelihood. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

"I depend on friends and also basketball to earn a living. I have a younger sister who helps me at home but she has a child to take care of. We have to help our mother because she can't do much by herself," says Muthoni.

Muthoni holds a Diploma in ICT but she says securing a job has been an uphill task for

After the accident, their landlord has been gracious enough to allow them to stay rent-free.

Even with the experiences and difficulties, Muthoni found a purpose in serving in a group of people living with disabilities.

The Self-help group known as Wonders of God uses gospel music to tell their story of trials, tribulation, triumph and hope.

"Due to my disability, I often found myself staying at home with nothing to do. However, after joining this group, I became more outgoing and active in society," Muthoni says.

She is the group's secretary and responsible for organising the group's activities which she says has given her a sense of purpose, responsibility and pushes her to do her best every day.

Being part of the group has helped Muthoni gain access to financial support to meet her medical expenses, start a resins crafts business and make many other strides including serving God through music.