A 16 years old girl is struggling with a severe condition that is causing swelling of her breast tissues, which threatens to cut short her education.
Rael Chacha from Kengariso Primary School in Kuria West, suffers from Gigantomastia, a rare condition that causes excessive growth of the female breasts.
She says that she started feeling uneasy around her breast in May this year. The girl who comes from Mugwera village in Nyamosense/Komosoko Ward, says that the condition has made her a laughing stock among her peers.
Rael says that the condition has forced her to abandon the chores that she initially used to do because of the severe pain she experiences.
She says that sleeping at night has become a problem. Rael also says that she feels pain around her neck and chest because her condition keeps on stretching her body mussels.
Rael, who was supposed to sit for her KCPE exams this year, missed out because of her condition.
She will also be unable to sit for the same exam next year because she has missed out learning for an entire year hence was not registered as a candidate.
“During my class seven exams, I scored 310 marks and I have a dream to go back to class and finish my studies, ” said Rael while calling on well-wishers to help her seek treatment in order to achieve her dreams.
Rael’s mother Mrs. Anna Muruga, says that her child’s sickness came abruptly. She notes that they have tried to take her to various hospitals in Migori, but were referred to Kisii Referral Hospital for specialized treatment.
Mrs. Muruga says that due to financial constraints, the family decided to seek the services of a traditional healer, where the girl was subjected to six months of traditional treatment which failed to heal her.
Muruga says that they decided to return the girl to Kisii Referral Hospital early this month through intervention from Rael’s school teachers. The hospital found out that the operation was necessary but required Sh150, 000.
Muruga also points out that due to unexplained reasons, the Hospital declined their NHIF card, leaving them with no option of having to cater for the operation fee.
She is calling upon well-wishers to come to her aid and assist her child to seek the medical intervention that she required.
Rael’s father Thomas Nyabite says that at first he thought his daughter was pregnant but after a medical check-up from a nearby clinic, they discovered her breasts were enlarging.
Nyabite points out that he has no other choice but to seek for well-wishers to assist the family financially to meet the operation cost.
He says that the family organized for a harambee early this month, but were only able to raise a quarter of the fee required for the operation to commence.
The Head Teacher Kengariso Primary School Mr. Wycliffe Wankio acknowledges that Rael has been schooling at the institution and that early last year, they suspected that she might be pregnant.
Wankio notes that female teachers came to her office with concerns about the girls’ condition.
He says that they decided as a school to call her parents and advised them to seek medical tests.
The Head Teacher says that upon verifying that she was not pregnant, they intervened and asked if the condition was hereditary, but that was not the case.
Wankio then advised the parents to look for specialized treatment only to be shocked that the parents went for a traditional healer for six months.
Wankio says that he asked her parents to seek proper medical care so that the school could allow the girl to continue with her education.
He acknowledges that Rael was subjected to stigmatization by her peers, therefore, the school saw it fit for her to be treated before being allowed to continue with her education.
Rael parents can be reached through their home mobile phone on 254791041323 or 254790954608.
By Geoffrey Makokha
