Beatrice Makhoka, the Bungoma woman who has lived with a 3kg facial growth for 21 years could soon resume normal life.
This is after a team of doctors at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital successfully removed the growth that blocked her face, including her nose, and interfered with her breathing.
She has lived with the heavy growth for 21 year and was almost giving up her struggle to live.
The medics removed the growth during a daylong surgery at the Eldoret-based hospital, where she is now recuperating in the Neuroward.
“Beatrice underwent the surgery which was successful. She is doing well and she is upbeat. I have talked to her and she is so grateful to the hospital and all the support she has received,” the hospital CEO, Dr Wilson Aruasa, said.
Dr Aruasa said Beatrice will remain under observation but all indications were that she was doing “quite well”.
He said such a surgery would cost or is valued at about Sh550,000.
“However MTRH is treating Beatrice as our corporate social responsibility (CSR)”, Dr Aruasa said.
Beatrice, 68, was referred from Bungoma County Hospital to MTRH on April 8.
“She came with a history of progressive right facial swelling over many years. She had been attended to several times in various health facilities,” Aruasa said.
The fund raiser by Radio Africa media group the star newspaper helped make it possible by opening up a paybill that has raised 1Million which will cover her post treatment expenses.