• The eight-year-old girl was disgnosed with the disease when she was two
Igdaliah Persida also known as Dash had a normal life until her second birthday when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
It was a grade three tumour that is also known as ependymoma.
She underwent her first surgery six months alter at St. Luke’s Hospital in Eldoret. Her mother Faith Ouso says the surgery changed her daughter's life.
Igdaliah lost her sight for six months and has never walked again.
“She went for further treatment in India in November 2015 where she underwent another surgery for the shunt which was successful,” the mother said.
In March 2016, Igdaliah started her 30 session radiations in India before she travelled back home.
“In July the same year, doctors informed us that the tumour was stubborn and that we needed to stay in India for eight months for her chemotherapy. She was to end the chemotherapy on December 31, 2016."
Luckily after the chemotherapy, the tumour was not growing and she was given take home chemo-medicine for six months.
But this did not last long as in June 2017, the tumour was growing again. She had to fly back to India for a third time.
According to the mother, the plan of the treatment this time round was to do a surgery then brainstem transplant.
“The surgery was successful but the brainstem failed, she got an infection in the cerebrospinal fluid so the shunt had to drain outside the body,” she told the Star.
As the infection was clearing up, Igdaliah got a clot in the brain and developed convulsions.
“She had to go through another surgery to remove the clot and stayed in hospital for five months,” she added.
In August 2019, doctors confirmed that the tumour was shrinking but the shunt was blocked.
Igdaliah underwent another surgery but in ten days, the shunt blocked again forcing her to undergo yet another surgery.
All the surgeries, were successful and she came back to Kenya in November 2019.
“We were to travel to India in March 2020 but this never came to pass due to Covid-19 travel restrictions,” the mother said.
Currently, Igdaliah has survived several radiations, chemotherapy and over 10 surgeries and her family calls her the girl with many lives.
However, her condition is rapidly deteriorating. In May, she was admitted at Avenue Hospital in Kisumu for management.
Igdaliah was discharged with a bill of about Sh700,000 which was paid by church members.
By end of September, the girl had a relapse and was rushed to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu.
“More than three litres of fluid was drained from her lungs but she has not improved,” the mother said.
Despite the ongoing strike in the health sector, the girl remains in the High Dependency Unit as she cannot do without oxygen. Her condition is worsening and she needs help.
“Her doctor in India confirmed that the shunt is blocked and we need Sh2 million for treatment. If you include accommodation and tickets it will cost around Sh3.5 million,” the mother said.
Until last year, all the medical bills were footed by the NHIF comprehensive cover when the terms of the cover changed to Sh1 million per year.
That means that the family can no longer afford Igdaliah’s treatment in India.
To raise the funds, the family has started a crowd-funding drive targeting Sh3.5 million so she can fly to India for tests and chemotherapy.
Though it has been a disruptive and painful six years with the the disease slowly sapping life out of the little angel, the family is strong-willed and hopeful.
Contributions can be channelled to 0724 367272 or Pay Bill number 8030731. The account number is 1700180386096.