A Disappointing Hospital Visit
The family’s first trip to Kilgoris District Hospital left them disappointed and searching for answers. The doctors informed Kishoyian’s family that surgery would need to be performed in Nairobi, costing 1 million shillings ($10,000 USD)—out of the realm of possibility for families in Kilgoris, where the average annual salary is $652. Disappointed, the family left the hospital knowing Kishoyian was unlikely to receive life-saving surgery that would fix the heart valve and prevent future heart failure. Francis decided this would not be the end of the story for Kishoyian and his family. He suggested a visit to a Tenwek Hospital, a larger, well-respected, Christian hospital in Bomet–about 100 kilometers and a two-hour car ride from Kilgoris.
“When I heard about the cost of the surgery, I decided to accompany the family to Tenwek Hospital for a meeting with doctors and a social worker,” said Francis. “Working together, we were able to arrange for the family to purchase a health insurance card that would lower their costs. Additionally, we learned about a team of cardiac physicians who visit the hospital a couple of times a year and donate their services.”
Good News At Last
After the successful visit to Tenwek, Kishoyian’s family was able to schedule the surgery to correct his heart murmur for September 2016. Since the visiting physicians donate their services, the family will pay hospital fees only—still about $2,500 USD. Stanley, Kishoyian’s father, is working with his community and church to mobilize the funds for his son’s surgery and for transportation costs.
“Without Francis on-staff and our integrated wellness checks, Kishoyian’s murmur would have gone undetected for years, and would have likely lead to death at a young age,” explained Vera. “Every year we are able to provide life-saving interventions to a handful of students—all because of our donors and their commitment to the health and education of the whole student.”