Strange illness threatens to ruin dreams of 13-year-old
Khalayi shows her leg which is afflicted by the illness. Photo by David Mafabi
What you need to know:
Nancy Khalayi has chronic osteomyelitis, a bacteria ailment.
Mbale-Nancy Khalayi looks like a normal 13-year-old –happy and confident. However, on close observation, she is a sad girl who cannot run around with her friends because of a wound on her leg. The wound is so bad that it has limited her movement.
Khalayi struggles to complete her daily walk to Nashibiso Primary School, which is about six kilometres from her home.
On February 2, 2011, Khalayi was diagnosed with chronic arthritis at Magale Health Centre IV in Manafwa District, according to a medical form signed by Dr Francis Nsubuga the in-charge of the centre. The doctors administered an anti-biotic and recommended proper dressing for the wound.
Despite three years of treatment, the wound seemed to only get worse. Her mother Eva Namarwa, who is a single parent, felt angry and helpless.
“The doctors didn’t give us a prognosis but from my own research, I saw that her chances of survival were becoming slim. So I decided to send her to her grandmother in Mbale for further treatment at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital,” says Namarwa.
Khalayi’s grandmother, Ms Grace Nanzala, who lives in Mutoto, Sinyamboka village, took her to the hospital, where she went underwent several tests.
A laboratory report signed by Dr Paul Mwesigye at the hospital on September 14, 2011 indicates that Khalayi has chronic osteomyelitis. The ailment is caused by staphylococcus aureus, a type of staph bacteria.
Another September 27 2011 medical report shows that she was treated with Erythromycin, Ciprofloxin and diclofenac.
“Pus flows from my wound. The leg is so painful, sometimes I can’t walk, I just stand or sit in one place and cry and then when it stops a bit. I tie it with a cloth and then walk to school because my grandmother can’t afford a medical bandage,” says Khalayi, before she breaks into tears.
Asked which type of treatment she now administers to her wound, she just breaks down and says: “Nobody gives me medicine, I stopped taking medicine in 2013 since my grandmother can’t afford it. I just clean it with cold water, look for one of my old clothes and tie it.”
The head teacher at her school, Mr Michael Wekwanya, says Khalayi is in so much pain that chances of her dropping out are very high.
“She barely walks. She needs thorough treatment before the leg becomes cancerous and our appeal is for good Samaritans to rescue her,” says Mr Wekwanya.
Expert's take
Dr Muhammad Mulongo of Tropical Medical and Maternity Hospital in Mbale says osteomyelitis is an infection of the bone, a rare but serious condition.
He explains that bones can become infected in a number of ways; infection in one part of the body may spread through the bloodstream into the bone, or an open fracture or surgery may expose the bone to infection.
“This girl needs to undergo another laboratory examination and put on treatment to save her life,” Dr Mulongo recommends.
