Trizah Waithira, widowed in 2022 after her husband Joe Waithaka died from stomach cancer, shares her emotional journey from diagnosis to death, describing it as traumatizing and expensive.
The woman who hails from Murang’a County, told KNA that her husband who had been diagnosed with severe stomach ulcers had started treatment for the ulcers, however, he was not getting better and by the time they received the cancer diagnoses the disease was already widely spread in his body.
“In May of 2020 my husband was diagnosed with severe stomach ulcers and he immediately commenced treatment for the ulcers, little did we know that that was not all,” she said
She recalled how on one Friday evening, her husband experienced severe stomach pain in the lower abdomen, causing him to even pass out. “When we got to the hospital, Joe was wheeled to the emergency room for check-ups and he was stabilized and three days later we received the shock of our lives; my husband was suffering from stomach cancer!” she said,
Waithera’s stated that the family faced devastating cancer news, struggling to accept it and hence selling their property to cover treatment costs.
“When Joe began treatment, he was scheduled to undergo chemotherapy at least once a week and each week, we had to take him to Kenyatta University referral hospital for the chemotherapy.” She stated,
Waithira described the journey as challenging, draining their life savings and forcing them to sell their properties to pay for their son’s medication. In addition to that, the woman faced expensive treatment and stigma due to societal belief that cancer is a curse, with no difference in Joe’s case.
She explained that in addition to the expensive treatment she also had to contend with stigma as many people in the society have the assumption that cancer is a curse and the affected person is hopeless and in Joe’s case, there was no difference.
Waithira narrates that despite facing widespread disdain and resentment, they bravely fought on despite having nothing left. She painfully recalled how in 2022 her worst nightmare came true as Joe’s condition deteriorated in spite of the treatment leaving her, a mother of three, a widow.
In July 2022, Waithira experienced her husband’s worsening condition, enduring hospital visits and pain, which broke her heart. On August 3rd, 2022, the narrator experienced her husband’s final breath, leaving her emotionally devastated.
Waithira recounted how she was left without anyone to run to and no property for her to support her children having sold everything to fund her late husband’s treatment illustrating how cancer has become a burden to most families especially those in rural areas who face financial constraints making it difficult for them to acquire treatment.
By Purity Mugo and Beatrice Muchoki
