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Judy Mbuthia-First Heart2Heart Beneficiary

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Judy Mbuthia-First Heart2Heart Beneficiary

by Christine Simon, Kenya

Judy Mbuthia-First Heart-To-HeartBeneficiary

By Mercy Nyakio (Media & Communications-The-Heart2Heart-Foundation)

I had heard of Judy Mbuthia the first beneficiary of the Heart-2-HeartFoundation and I was eager to meet up with her and hear her story. I finallygot the chance and on October 13th we met at the Heart-2-Heart Foundationoffices at The Karen Hospital. She starts by telling me that she was quitesmall when she received the open heart surgery and that she is not too clear onthe details. What she knows is what her parents have told her.

October 4th 1993 is a day that the Mbuthia’s will neverforget. Their 9 year old daughter Judy would finally get the open heart surgeryshe desperately needed. Judy was born with a hole in her heart but her parentsdid not know this until she was 2 years old. Her mother had thought that shewas suffering from pneumonia and she would take her to the hospital but Judynever got better. Her parents decided to take her to Kenyatta National Hospitalwhere they met Dr. Githanga. It is here that they were told of their daughter’shole in the heart. This condition could only be solved by open heart surgerybut their daughter could not get it. She was too small to be operated on and atthe time there was no machine in Kenya to do the surgery. For the next 7 yearsJudy’s life was filled with several doctors’ appointments to control hercondition and having to stay indoors while the rest of her friends played asany exertion would stress her heart and leave her panting and sick.

In 1993 Dr. Githanga introduced the Mbuthia’s to Dr. Betty Gikonyo and theirlives changed for the better. Dr. Betty Gikonyo a Pediatric Cardiologist hadjust started the Heart-2-Heart Foundation. The Heart-2-Heart Foundation is aKenya medical charity dedicated to the Control, Prevention and Treatment ofheart diseases in children. Judy would be the first beneficiary of thefoundation. With the help of a surgical team and machines from Children’s HeartLink in Minneapolis the surgery took place on 4th October 1993.TheChildren’s Heart Link is  a foundationbased in the United States that is dedicated to the treatment and prevention ofheart diseases. By November Judy was well enough to go back to school and be anormal child and since then life has never been the same again. Now 25 yearsold she recalls the story with so much happiness. “I do not know what to say toDr. B.M as she fondly refers to Dr Betty Gikonyo. She and the rest of thesurgical team gave me my health and life back and I am grateful. With thesurgery, does she have to go for checkups on a regular basis I ask? She laughsand says “The only checkups I can remember going for did not last long maybe afew months at most.  Now, other than theoccasional cold in June/July I have never had a reason to visit the doctor.

Judy completed her ‘O’ levels at Komothai Girls and later proceeded toMakerere University for a degree in Community Psychology. Does this haveanything to do with her getting the surgery I wonder? As if reading my mind shesays I want to give back to the society. This is the only way I know how toshow how grateful I am. There are so many people who are out there and haveproblems yet they do not know where to go or who to ask for help. I plan to goto the community and give them hope as I was given. She recalls a day after hersurgery when Dr Betty Gikonyo told her parents “Just believe, she will getbetter.”  And get better she did 16 yearsdown the line Judy is healthy and the proud mother of one year old Shirlynn. Whatdoes she think of the work of the Heart-2-Heart Foundation? “They are doing agreat job in giving children a second chance in life.”

The Heart-2-Heart Foundation is a medical charity organization that has so far saved over 250 lives and plans to continue saving more with the help ofits supporters.

 

 

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Current Comments

If you go to http://www.3four50.com/globalaudit/ you can sign up at the bottom of that page.

Any questions: info@3four50.com

Posted by Nazrene Hanif on 29th Jun 2010

Thank you Nazrene for your comment. No we haven't signed for the Global Audit.

Please advise?

Regards.

Posted by Christine Simon on 23rd Jun 2010

This is a brilliant story - it is exactly the stories of people like Judy that need to be told so people can finally put a face on the word 'disease' and what can be done to prevent and take action. Have you signed up for the global audit?

Posted by Nazrene Hanif on 23rd Jun 2010

 

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