The family of Doreen Nakalema who was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure has appealed to President Museveni to help them raise sh150 million for a kidney transplant set for early next year in India.
“We wrote to President Museveni seeking his assistance but we have not got any feedback. We are kindly requesting for his intervention to help us fund the $40,000(approximately shs150m) that is set to be done next year in India,” Dickson Kasibante Ssentamu, a brother to the patient said on Sunday morning.
The family says they have tried al avenues in a bid to raise the shs150 million required for the kidney transplant but have failed.
“We spend shs300,000 per week as she goes for dialysis at Mulago twice a week which has also proved costly yet we also have to raise money for the kidney transplant,” he added.
Dialysis is the process of removing excess water, solutes, and toxins from the blood in people whose kidneys can no longer perform these functions naturally.
In simple terms, this is the artificial way of doing the job done by the kidneys and has to be done regularly.
Condition
According to Nakalema, a bank teller and mother of two, earlier this year, she developed hypertension after pre-eclampsia that came during her previous pregnancy.
She adds that she later went to Mengo hospital from where she was diagnosed with a kidney problem and was later referred to Kiruddu hospital as the condition deteriorated.
“It reached a time when I could not properly see and I was vomiting so much. I have lost so much wait. At Kiruddu, the doctors advised that I will need a kidney transplant that will done in India early next year. This will cost $40,000,” the visibly weak and soft speaking Nakalema said.
Fundraising drive
On Sunday, family members and other well-wishers organized a car wash in a bid to raise funds for the much-required kidney transplant in India.
The fundraising drive was organized at St. Stephens Church of Uganda in Kisugu.
While preaching, Rev Canon Frederick Jackson Baalwa urged believers to always help those in need.
“As believers, it is upon us to help those in need. Jesus asks us to feed those who are hungry, visit those incarcerated and everything related to showing love to those in need. Only the healthy serve God. As a church, we ask those who are capable of offering a helping hand to our sister to do so,” Rev. Canon Baalwa said.