MOTHER ABANDONS GIRL WITH ADVANCED CANCER

Children always feel safe with their parents especially their mothers. It is however a different story for Amina Nabagesera who is blind with advanced cancer. Amina who was born with proper sight was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma (cancer of the eye) in February this year. This completely changed her life. She is now blind. Her care taker who is also her auntie says the cancer started as a swelling. After receiving treatment from different clinics for a swelling on the left eye, she was referred to Ruharo Missionary Hospital where doctors broke the sad news of advanced cancer. The sad news hit her father hard and he passed on due to pressure. Her mother that remained as a shoulder and comforter also abandoned her at auntie’s place in Kikubampagi in Luweero district together with her 3 sisters. This is where they all live up to now. After examination by doctors at Mbarara Hospital, an operation was recommended to have her eyes plucked out to avoid the cancer from spreading But this was too late, after the operation, the doctors concluded that Amina needed palliative care because her cancer was in advanced stages. Because of the care and administering treatment that Amina needs, her auntie, a vendor in one of the area markets had to resign from her job and concentrate on looking after her. These now survive on handouts from well-wishers. Amina’s treatment also costs a fortunate. Every two weeks, her auntie has to part with 300,000 shillings to buy her drugs which can only be bought from Kampala city, Uganda’s capital. This is about 60 kilometers. She is however optimistic that her cousin will heal completely because her progress has been amazing. According to the British Journal of Ophthalmology, Retinoblastoma is the cancer of the eye and in Uganda, almost all diagnoses in the first eye were International Classification of Retinoblastoma group E or worse. In a study done in 2015, of the 271 children that had this type of cancer, 139 died Most children diagnosed have extra ocular tumors and many do not survive to tell the pain they went through. Our prayer is that Amina survives to tell the story.