Unlike
many children her age, Maria Achola is not having a joyful, playful life.
Seven-year-old
Achola is confined to a hospital bed, tubes and wires running across her weak,
painful body.
For
more than two months, Achola, a pupil of St Ponsiano Ngondwe primary school in
Bweyogerere, has been battling acute hepatic encephalopathy. It is a
debilitating condition in which the liver cannot remove toxic substances from the
blood. This results in a buildup of toxins in the blood stream, which may cause
brain damage.
According
to medical records from International Hospital Kampala (IHK), where was
admitted by the weekend, Achola first presented at the hospital on May 2, with
two-week abdominal pain, yellow eyes for one day and a high-grade fever.
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| Achola at IHK |
In
hospital, Achola, the last born of six, continued to have high-grade fevers and
profuse vomiting, all supported with intravenous maintenance fluids and
antiemetics-drugs effective against nausea and vomiting. She was later
discharged and followed up as an outpatient. But her condition worsened, and
she was readmitted after three weeks.
A
gastroenterologist, consulted from Nairobi, guided her care and provided
contacts for a liver centre in India.
According
to Dr Sarah Bonita Musoke, a pediatrician at IHK, in children such as Maria,
the Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is associated with hepatic failure and may result
in death if left untreated.
“Achola
was not immunized against Hepatitis A. Her liver is inflamed and she is
experiencing brain impairment,” says Dr Musoke, adding that Achola needs urgent
treatment.
HAV
is transmitted mainly through eating contaminated food or through blood
transfusion.
Dr
Musoke adds that in Achola’s case, the onset of encephalopathy requires that
she gets a liver transplant.
Achola
is currently at stage two of the disease, characterized by drowsiness, gross
mental impaireness, slowed response, sullenness and disorientation from time to
time. HE has four stages and at stage four, a person goes into coma.
“We
have consulted Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in New Dehli, India who have
recommended that she be transferred to their centre for a transplant,” Dr
Musoke says.
Achola
is now in IHK’s high dependency unit (HDU), with persistent coagulopathy
(clotting and bleeding disorder) and a deteriorating sensorium complicated with
bacterial sepsis.
The
transplant package, which includes surgeries of both the donor and recipient (including
21-day stay of the recipient and 10-day stay for the donor), consumables and
bed cost, is valued at $35,000 (about Shs 90m). A pre-transplant evaluation is
estimated at $3000 (about Shs 7.6m), while travel and meals are estimated at
$12,000 (about Shs 30m).
Achola’s
parents are appealing to the public for donations to help save her life. Her
father, Vincent Adoko, may be reached on 0772516035 and A/C no:
2520512181-Centenary Bank, Namirembe Road branch.
