Students at Ambrose Adeya Adongo Secondary School in Siaya County have had to adjust to the interruptions caused by their teacher’s oxygen cylinder as she fights for her life.
Mary Ochieng was diagnosed with interstitial lung disease in 2017, which has severely affected her lungs.
What began as a slight cough during her teaching practicals in 2017 has worsened over the years, resisting treatment and leading to lung failure.
A mother of two, she has been on medication since her diagnosis, but her condition changed in March of last year.
“I had an attack on the night of March 15 and was taken to Bama Hospital nearby. The doctors put me on oxygen right away because my lungs were not getting enough oxygen,” Ochieng explains.
She notes that her oxygen levels were only 30 percent, while a healthy person needs between 90 and 100 percent.
Doctors in Eldoret and Nairobi have recommended that she undergo a lung transplant.
“The issue is that this procedure cannot be done here, so I need to go to India,” she says.
Her treatment has drained her savings and her family’s resources.
As a mathematics and chemistry teacher, she relies on costly medications and requires oxygen 24/7, which has impacted her ability to teach.
“I spend over Sh1,200 daily on medication just to survive,” she states.
Ochieng mentions that one of her medical insurance plans has helped with some costs, but it falls short as her medication and other expenses exceed the coverage.
She has called on the government to expand SHIF to include serious illnesses like hers.
Her mother, Claris Oriedi, says the family is struggling due to her daughter’s condition and has appealed for help from kind-hearted individuals.
Support for Ochieng can be sent to 0710104416 or 0727455063.
