Kenyans donate over Sh1 million for patient’s liver transplant
Kenyans have done it again.
In their usual harambee spirit, they have donated over Sh1.6 million to pay for a liver transplant for a patient who made an online medical appeal.
Antony Nganga made the appeal for help last week which prompted the start of the hashtag #istandwithanto.
Mr Nganga needs Sh8 million to undergo a liver transplant in India.
He narrated on Facebook how his woes started in 2011 after being diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, a disease of the bile duct that causes inflammation of the ducts and can lead to liver cirrhosis or liver cancer.
The 27-year-old described how the disease was diagnosed after a magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography procedure.
ITCHING AND FEVER
“I started developing symptoms such as itching (pruritus), chronic fatigue, mild fevers and chills weight loss and jaundice (yellow eyes). In mid-2015 I was admitted due to abdominal pain which had come as a result of blood not clotting and low levels of Vitamin K, plasma and platelets. Every day that passes by the condition of the liver worsens at the moment the only solution is a liver transplant,” wrote Mr Nganga.
The Telecommunications Engineering graduate explained how the doctor told him that he needed an urgent transplant.
He cannot afford the transplant owing to numerous expenditures that have so far drained his family’s finances.
“During my recent visit to the doctor, he stated that I need an urgent liver transplant, the more time passes the harder the transplant will become. Unfortunately there is no place in Kenya where the transplant can be done. The most suitable place for the transplant is in India. If I had the ability I would have already booked an appointment for a transplant but the amount of money required is beyond my reach,” he stated.
TWITTER TREND
His appeal has since gone viral with the hashtag #Istandwithanto becoming a top trend on twitter.
Contributions made by end of Sunday stood at Sh1,323,844 on the M-Pesa paybill number 163665.
The account number is Antony’s Liver Fund,
An additional $3,827 (Sh388, 208) has been raised on the online appeal platform, Go Fund Me.
Contributions via can be sent to his number 0727 417454.
