Nairobi News

A cab hailing app driver on Monday night saved the life of a passenger who had an epileptic seizure inside his car.

Joseph Kyallo Wambua, a 35-year-old new-in-the-business driver had started his evening shift in his usual way and was around Fedha Estate in Embakasi.

LARGE CROWD

“At some point I passed by a crowd along the way. Shortly, I got a ride request and upon reaching the pick up point, I noticed it was the same spot where the crowd was gathered,” Kyallo narrated to Nairobi News.

When he got at the pick up point he met Philip Ogola, who identifies himself as Digital Humanitarian on social media.

Ogola had made the request after spending the better part of his evening with one woman in distress.

While on an evening cycling Ogola had been attracted to a large crowd. Just like most curious Kenyans, he moved closer to investigate what was happening.

He immediately found out that a certain woman was having an epileptic seizure.

He managed to administer first aid to the woman following instructions on phone from Dr Thuranira Kaugiria.

After gaining consciousness the woman told Ogola where she lives.

ANOTHER SEIZURE

Before the seizure, the woman had been going about her business of selling clothes in the estates.

She had walked the whole day from Mlolongo to Fedha Estate without a meal.

The people who had gathered around helped her to raise some money to cater for her transport and food for her children who were waiting at home.

Kyallo agreed to drop her home but he was still worried about the possibility of another seizure.

“I was really worried about the possibility of the woman suffering another seizure, but those who had attended to her assured me that she was good to go. So I accepted the trip and we left,” said Kyallo.

Through the journey, the two kept chatting but when they were almost Syokimau the woman slumped on her seat, forcing Kyallo to hurriedly park along the footpath in order to assist her.

He called Ogola who guided him on what to do on phone. But it took long for the woman to regain consciousness.

Kyallo drove her to the Aga Khan Hospital in Syokimau and minutes later she was up.

ADMITTED

The woman insisted on being taken home but along the way she suffered another seizure. Luckily, this time two women came along and helped Kyallo.

The ailing passenger asked to be taken to Kitengela Medical Centre and as luck would have it, she is well known to the medics at the facility.

All along Kyallo’s app was still on but after getting to the hospital he decided to switch it off.

“I cancelled the trip because I felt it wasn’t important at that time. I chose to switch off the app until I was completely done with her,” he said.

Kyallo says he helped the woman because he believes in humanity and that he has spent many years serving street families.

At the hospital, Kyallo got the opportunity to talk to his passenger who revealed that her husband abandoned her late last year after he found out that she is epileptic.

Kyallo left her admitted at the hospital but when he called in the morning to follow up on her progress, the hospital staff informed him that the woman had been discharged.