<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img src="/nairobi/PublishingImages/J%20Arot%20body%20image.jpg" alt="" style="margin: 5px;"/>
</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">By the time Jenifer Maraka Arot arrived at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, her life was hanging by a thread.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The 36-year-old mother of six had spent over two years battling unexplained fatigue and searing chest pains - symptoms that had slowly robbed her of her strength and her ability to serve her community. A village administration officer in Turkana County, Kenya&#39;s largest and most remote region, Jenifer was used to long treks across arid villages, resolving disputes and linking residents with government services.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But by May 2023, her body began to betray her. “I couldn&#39;t walk far. The pain in my chest and back would take a toll on me,&quot; she recalls.</span></p><p><strong style="font-family: helvetica;">A Journey Through Misdiagnosis and Misunderstanding</strong></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Her first stop was the Turkana County Referral Hospital in Lodwar. An x-ray was done, but the results were unclear. Doctors suspected pneumonia and put her on medication. Two weeks later -with no improvement and pain still raging - she returned. This time, she was told to do a CT scan. But there was a problem: Turkana County doesn&#39;t have a single CT scanner.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Determined to find answers, Jenifer did a CT Scan in in December 2024, at St. Luke&#39;s Hospital, which revealed she had a descending aortic aneurysm - a rare and life-threatening condition in which a section of the aorta (the body&#39;s main artery) balloons dangerously. If it ruptured, it would be fatal.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">She was advised to seek specialized care in Nairobi, particularly at Karen Hospital. She had to travel for 13 hours by road while in pain covering a distance of 670 kilometers to Nairobi where her husband lived working as a civil servant.</span></p><p><strong style="font-family: helvetica;">A Timely Encounter with Life-Saving Doctors</strong></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">They headed to Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), where Jenifer met Dr. Grace Muthoni in the Emergency Department. A second CT scan revealed a terrifying development—the aneurysm had grown from 5.3 cm to 7.8 cm in just four weeks. Immediate action was needed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Dr. Muthoni called in Dr. Joseph Ruturi, a renowned Vascular and Cardiothoracic Surgeon, who recommended urgent admission. Her condition was now critical.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Thanks to insurance, Jenifer was admitted to the High Dependency Unit for close monitoring. But there was another hurdle: to save her life, doctors needed a stent from Europe -costing KSh 3.5 million. Combined with the procedure and hospital care, the total bill would soar past KSh 6 million an amount too far for them to afford.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Her insurance could only cover half.</span></p><p><strong style="font-family: helvetica;">Hope When All Seemed Lost</strong></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As Jenifer&#39;s condition deteriorated, her family faced a financial cliff. “I thought money would be the reason I die,&quot; she says. But then, a lifeline came: the AKUH Patient Welfare Programme assessed her case and offered to cover a significant portion of the costs.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">With this support, the hospital ordered the stent. For 35 anxious days, Jenifer remained under intensive care, her medical bill quietly climbing past KSh 1 million.</span></p><p><strong style="font-family: helvetica;">Surgery and a Second Chance at Life</strong></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">On March 7th, she was wheeled into surgery. A four-hour operation gave her a second shot at life. When she woke up in the ICU at 5 p.m., she was overwhelmed with relief. The pain was gone—and the aneurysm had been successfully repaired.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">After a day in ICU, five more in HDU, and further recovery in the surgical ward, Jenifer was discharged.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Now, two months post-surgery, she&#39;s pain-free, doing household chores, and preparing to return to her job in June. Her final follow-up is scheduled for the end of May 2025.</span></p><p><strong style="font-family: helvetica;">A Message of Gratitude and Hope</strong></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“I never thought someone from Turkana—someone like me—could access this level of care,&quot; Jenifer says. “But Aga Khan University Hospital and its Patient Welfare Programme showed me that quality healthcare is not just for the wealthy. They gave me my life back.&quot;</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">She remains deeply grateful to the team of doctors, nurses, and support staff who stood by her during her darkest hours. “AKUH restored my life—and gave me a future with my children.&quot;
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