Fistula survivor reunites with hubby on Valentine's Day

Every woman suffering from fistula desires to undergo a repair surgery to enable them lead a normal life. Majority suffer from stigma, with some being neglected by society including their relatives and husbands.

As the world marked Valentine’s Day with lovers sharing special gifts and moments, Catherine Matini Malala, 55, a fistula survivor and mother of four children, was celebrating her reunion with her husband Wellington Matwa, 59.

Late 2016, Ms Matini who hails from Makwea village in Mumias, Kakamega County, noted she had symptoms of fistula, dashing her hopes for a stable marriage. She shared the news with a friend who urged her not to worry.

“It started in 2016 but wasn’t very bad.

In February 2017, however, it started getting worse. Urine would flow out profusely whenever I stood up.

“I was perturbed since I had never experienced such since childhood. I wondered what could have caused it and shared with a woman who assured me it is treatable,” narrates Ms Matini.

She sought for medical attention for long but never got any breakthrough. This brought friction in her marriage because her husband could no longer endure her foul stench that came about as a result of fistula.

Ms Matini says she got depressed after everyone including her husband, friends and relatives started isolating her.

RECOVERY JOURNEY

“There was urine all over the house and it smelled very bad. That’s when my husband left me to go look for another woman. This stressed me a lot because he left me alone in the house, and I didn’t have help. I even thought of killing myself because I did not see my importance of living,” reveals Ms Matini.

Luckily, her husband after leaving, heard a lady talk about the problem and how they were helping women with similar problems. He asked for the lady’s contact and that is how he met Habiba Mohamed the Programs Director of Fistula Foundation.

“I had attended a funeral where I heard a lady speak of this illness and how they help women with the problem. She then shared her phone number. When I got home, I called my wife whom I had broken up with and shared with her what I heard,” explains Mr Matendechere.

This marked the beginning of Ms Matini’s recovery journey.

Despite staying apart, the couple, in April 2017, agreed to follow Ms Habiba’s path. She took Ms Matini to Cherang’any Nursing Home hoping she would get better.

“My wife was picked at home by Mama Habiba and took her to hospital. She underwent an operation, got treatment and came back home,” says Mr Matendechere.

According to Ms Matini, she started noticing changes after undergoing treatment consistently for almost two years. When the husband heard the news, he came back home.

They decided to use this year’s Valentine’s Day to celebrate their reunion.

REJECTED BY CHILDREN

Another victim of the ruinous ailment, who also celebrated her recovery on lover’s day is Jane Nyambuya, 63, from Mumias, Kakamega County. She was rejected by her children until she recovered recently.

“It started in April 1986, when I was expecting my first born child. I had a high fever and was taken to hospital. When I got there, my baby had kicked me in the womb and I got hurt, but I gave birth and was discharged after six months,”

 “While at home after discharge, my urine started to flow freely. This bothered me as I would wake up find urine all over my bed. I then started covering myself with rugs,” narrates Ms Nyambuya.

Despite recovery efforts she made with her husband Mr Patrick Simiurasto, whom she say was very supportive, they could not find solution to the nightmare.

 “I could see my children, with whom I stayed, covering their noses. Even friends who would come to see me could not stay close without covering their noses. I even suggested that we visit a witchdoctor since we had tried hospitals and there was no help.

“I visited one and paid Sh200,000 but there was still no change,” says Ms Nyambuya.

When she joined the Fistula Foundation program, she got special treatment in April last year, bringing an end to her long suffering.

A restaurant in Eldoret town sponsored the celebration of the two couples. The manager of the establishment Ms Sharon Achieng’ Oloo said they wanted to put a smile on the faces of the fistula survivors on Valentine’s Day because they are neglected in the society hence.