No easy day as thugs left him paralysed, family ran away

You may not have any medical condition, but you may meet with a sorry situation. Terrible things do happen just when you think all is well.

This is the ghastly part that befell David Gituma of Kanyoni village in Gakawa, Nyeri County. His frail frame obliterates any idea that he once was the super glue that held his family together.

Paralysed and confined to a wheelchair, he can barely lift a spoon to feed himself and has to rely on his 70-year-old father to fend for him. His wife and children ran away – for better or for worse, notwithstanding.

Mr Gituma, 43, is a man in trouble and yet just 10 years ago, he was the pillar that held his family in place – a dependable man.

His paralysis was not caused by a road accident or disease, but by robbers. Thugs too lazy to earn an honest living attacked and left him with a spinal injury that paralysed him from the head down.

It took two days for the Nation to track him in the village because on the initial agreed upon day for the interview, he accidentally dropped his phone from his wheelchair and could not pick it up.

“I just watched the phone ring the whole day. There was nobody around to pick it up for me. This is what life has become for me the last 10 years,” he said.

Mr Gituma was a respectable farmer but all this changed on the night of October 1, 2010. An encounter with thugs that lasted barely minutes changed his life.

While on his way to the market at around 7pm to buy food for his family, a gang of criminals robbed him of his day’s earnings and left him unconscious in a callous attack. The cash they were after was just about enough to feed his family of four for the day.

He lay unconscious through the cold night. When locals found him lying by the roadside in the morning, they assumed he was dead, judging by the nature of his injuries. His kin, however, held onto hope that he was alive.

They rushed him to Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital but crippled health systems at the time meant he could only get first aid treatment to stabilise him.

Mr Gituma remained in a coma for the next four days with nothing but a saline drip being administered to him. All through, his siblings stayed by his side, praying for a miracle.

On the fourth day, an unsettling decision was made. As he had been immobile, unconscious and unresponsive, hospital staff concluded he was dead and called in morgue attendants.

His kin opposed the decision and continued with prayers. Either by sheer luck or a miracle, the mortuary staff delayed. “My sister kept praying. Before they could wheel me into the mortuary, I woke up. I could not understand why I was in hospital or why I could not move from the neck down,” he narrated.

They moved him to Huruma Hospital in Nanyuki for specialised treatment where multiple scans confirmed that he had suffered a severe cervical spinal injury. This would see him undergo various forms of treatment, including physiotherapy in a bid to regain mobility.

Unable to raise the bills, Mr Gituma relied on close relatives and neighbours to support his treatment. In 2019, he underwent surgery with the surgeon doing it for free. “We could not raise the money. He is among the people who have kept me going throughout the 10 years,” he said.

Using guidance from professionals, locals provided makeshift physiotherapy machines made from scrap metals and wood. “I cannot afford modern therapy. I have made some improvements because I can move my hands,” he offered.

His father is his primary caregiver, ensuring he is fed and comfortable. His neighbours and siblings assist in cleaning him, including bathing him.

“My family left me when life became unbearable. I have nothing against them. I am just glad to know that my children are provided for. I know I will get back on my feet. I keep hope alive because I want to be able to take care of myself and others who have suffered like me. That day will come,” said Mr Gitumo.

However, financial constraints continue to be a major setback as the menial jobs his father takes can barely cover the daily upkeep and medical expenses.

[email protected]