A smile of hope

The father of two sits near a window leaning in for some sunshine. Occasionally, he closes his eyes. It’s hard to tell if this was because he is simply enjoying the warmth of the sunrays or if the closing of the eyes follows bitter memories of his battle with ameloblastoma.

Ameloblastoma is a rare, noncancerous (benign) tumor that develops most often in the jaw near the molars. “Two weeks after I discovered the growth, it had doubled in size. That is when I knew I need to stop self-medicating and visit a hospital,” John says.

In July 2015, John visited a hospital in Nairobi, not far from where he lived with his wife and kids. “I underwent CT scanning and the doctor referred me to a dental clinic. Here is when it was finally confirmed that I had ameloblastoma,” he remembers.

The swelling had increased to an extent of dislocating his jaws. Even with the severity of the situation, there was little he could do to save the boat. “The hospital needed at least Ksh.175,000 for a metal plate and the correctional procedure,” John tells. He gave up. There was no way he could raise that kind of money with the little he was making and feed his family.

“I walked into my house, looked at my kids and had a series of questions. If I surrendered to this condition and it became a death sentence, who would take care of them?” he looks back. The mere sight of his family was motivation enough for him to start finding other alternatives. He landed a garbage collection job. Sadly, this was still not enough.

“I am really good at researching stuff on the internet. That’s how I came to know about Kijabe Hospital. Si unajua tu vijanaa na mambo ya net,” he says with an infectious chuckle.

John visited us in January 2020 for the first time. He was attended to by Dr Chege, our head and neck specialist. He described John as a very optimistic young man. One could catch a glimpse of him smiling every time he had a conversation with the doctor. It was a smile of hope. Hope that this was another step to the end of the long battle. Beyond the smile, one could see fatigue in his eyes.

After several minor procedures, he was scheduled for major surgery in November 2021. He hit a bump. He had not honored NHIF premiums for several years. It was recommended he pays for 2 years upfront. This meant a delay in his surgery. Finally, in April 2022, surgery was done. John appreciates well-wishers for their generous contribution towards his critical care after surgery.

In the recovery journey, there was need for dentures. He began visiting our dental clinic. One could find him in one of the visits fidgeting with his phone. “I am a shy guy you know,” he says bursting out in laughter. “My jaw is healed. I am just here for dentures and then go home. I can’t wait to smile at my children again.” John concludes.

He specially thanks Dr Nathaniel, Dr Chege and Pastor Loise for helping him through what he describes as one of the toughest moments in his life.