Mary Babirye, a 24-year-old survivor of heart disease hailing from Kayunga district, experienced a remarkable turn of events in early January this year when she returned home after a successful operation in India.
Viewing her survival as a divine second chance, Babirye, who earned a culinary services certificate from Nile Vocational Institute in Njeru in 2022, found her life taking an unexpected turn in May of the previous year. A sudden twist affected her heart valve, leading to persistent pain and suffering.
The latter half of 2023 was marked by intense physical challenges for Babirye, including facial, stomach, hand, and leg swellings, along with breathing difficulties.
However, a successful operation brought relief, allowing her to embrace life with a smile once again. Recollecting the arduous journey, Babirye narrates how her family faced dwindling hope as they exhausted their finances and sold valuable possessions to seek treatment at the Uganda Heart Institute (UHI) in Kampala.
The UHI quoted Shillings 23 million for her operation, scheduled for early this year. Despite managing to deposit Shillings 3 million, they struggled to raise the remaining balance.
As they grappled with the challenge of mobilizing funds, Babirye received distressing news from medical officers, indicating a further deterioration in her health, necessitating an urgent operation before the end of 2023. This revelation left her feeling hopeless, contemplating her imminent demise.
Jane Nabirye, Babirye’s mother and a peasant farmer, shares the agony they experienced since June of the previous year when Babirye’s complaints of pain intensified.
Seeking medical attention at Jinja Hospital, the diagnosis revealed a blocked heart valve, leading to a referral to the Uganda Heart Institute where the costs proved to be exorbitant.
In the midst of these challenges, the Tender Mercies Outreach Foundation, an NGO in Kayunga that had supported Babirye’s education, brought hope after learning about her situation.
The foundation secured funds for Babirye’s operation at Narayanah Hospital in Banhal City, India, and facilitated their travel costs. Charles Walakira, the country director for Tender Mercies Outreach Foundation, reveals that the overall expenses for the India trip and medical fees amounted to Shillings 90 million, a sum beyond the means of the impoverished family.
Takuwa shares the challenges faced during their attempts to travel to India, including the cancellation of their initial flight due to Babirye’s inability to walk unassisted.
Overcoming hurdles, they successfully reached the hospital, and despite the initial unavailability of the operating doctor, the procedure was eventually conducted successfully.
Following the surgery, Babirye spent two days in the Intensive Care Unit and a total of two weeks in the hospital, culminating in a one-month stay in India before returning to Uganda.
Expressing gratitude for the transformation in her daughter’s condition, from being carried to the hospital to now walking steadily without difficulty. Jacqueline Nakato, the administrator at Tender Mercies Outreach Foundation, calls on the government to increase funding for the Uganda Heart Institute to make heart treatment more accessible to patients, citing the high costs that pose challenges for economically disadvantaged individuals like Babirye.
Despite the successful operation, Babirye acknowledges the challenges ahead, with minimal chances of practicing what she studied, as her body is weaker than before. She now relies on God’s mercy to potentially start a boutique.