Medics don’t know what he suffers from

18-year-old Khisa has missed sitting this year’s A-Levels because he has been bedridden with a strange disease that has swollen almost his whole body.

With envy, Geoffrey Khisa, 18, watches his colleagues come from school. Under normal circumstances, Khisa should also be coming back from school with these friends of his, but he cannot.

Khisa, who is supposed to sit for his A-Level examinations at St Peter’s Secondary School in Jinja this year, has been down with a strange sickness that has disabled him.

“For a great part of this year, I have been trying with futility to find out what I am suffering from. Immediately after I registered for Senior Six examinations, I started getting joint pains in my legs. I could not sit. I felt a lot of heat in the legs and I have never understood this,” he says breaking down in tears. Khisa was studying Physics, Economics, Mathematics and Entrepreneurship before the swollen legs, stomach and private parts [scrotum] got a better of him, and has not seen the inside of the classroom since he completed his mocks.

Today, he sleeps on his bed at their home in Bundege village, Bukalu Sub-county in Sironko District, crying in pain. Being carried out and into the house is his routine and he eases himself with a lot of pain.

His mother, Joy Kakai, a peasant who is a mother of four, is the only breadwinner but because of the pain his son goes through, she cannot do any work. She spends most of the time assisting him.

When the Daily Monitor arrives at his home in Bundege village, Kakai sits at Khisa’s bed with her hand on the cheek, hoping one day a Good Samaritan will come to their rescue.

“I used to sell charcoal in the market but ever since my child got sick, I sold everything to treat him.

“There are times we are chased from the hospital I have prayed but there is no healing for my son. I have sold land and gone to hospitals until I have nothing to sell,” laments Kakai. She reveals that his son first complained about the sickness when he was going to sit for S.4 Examinations, then it disappeared shortly with pain killers but later resurfaced in S.6 during mocks.

She has gone to hospitals in Nyenga, Jinja, Mbale, Kumi, Hamadiya, New town medical centre, Elgon Hospital and Zam Zam hospitals, and X-rays have been done but nothing has been found in the blood or the bones. Even when treatment has been administered, the situation has continued to get out of hand.

Khisa adds, “I’m in pain. I have tried hospitals around but they just give me antibiotics, which have not done much.”

Medical reports from New Town Medical Centre signed by Dr Sam Mugondi and Community Imaging Centre, Kumi, indicate, “There is right iliac vessels leading to swelling of the right and left legs and the situation needs further investigation…., they should seek proper medical care before the wounds on the legs, body become cancerous.”

“We are appealing to anybody who has money to help us take this boy to Mulago for treatment. Mbale regional hospital referred us to Mulago but we don’t have any money to go there,” pleads Khisa’s mother.

To Help:
Please call Jay Kakai, Khisa’s mother on Mobile number 0757817938

editorial@ug.nationmedia.com