The Mater Heartrun:

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You can also Join our Blood Donors Group, for details follow this link on service 8.

The Mater Heart Run Past Beneficiaries:

Some of our past beneficiaries and the inspiring stories:

REHEMA MWAURA

10-year-old Rehema is the 1^st born in a family of 4 children.  She attends Methodist Academy Primary School in Mombasa and is in class 3.  She hails from Kinango District in Coast Province. 

Her parents are divorced and Rehema currently stays with an aunt in Kinango.  Her father is a mechanic while her mother does casual jobs to earn a living.

Rehema was diagnosed with a heart problem referred to as PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosis) in February 2008 when she came for full cardiac evaluation at Mater.  This is the duct that connected her circulation to her mother’s before she was born.  It ought to have closed at birth but somehow remained open, causing a mix-up of pure and impure blood. 

Rehema’s condition was discussed by a joint team of cardiac doctors who recommended diagnostic catheterization which was carried out on 6^th May 2008.  Rehema continued with clinics with a hope of being reviewed by visiting doctors from overseas.

Luckily, she underwent surgery on 10^th of May 2009 by a team from India.  She made good progress and was discharged home on 15^th May 2009 in stable condition.

Compassion International undertook to pay Kshs.150,000/= as a family contribution for Rehema.

ANASTASIA KAVENGI MBATHA

Anastasia is 16 years old and the 5^th born in a family of 5 siblings. She is a class 8 pupil at Ilengi primary school, Maluuma location, Kitui District.

Her father is deceased. Her mother is a housewife who the family depends on for their livelihood.

Anastasia has been unwell for 6 years and has been attending the national hospital for treatment.  She has been unable to access surgery due to the long waiting list at the hospital and also due to lack of finances.

Her uncle who resides in Nairobi told them about the Mater Heart Program. 

She was brought to the cardiac clinic early 2009 where she underwent a full cardiac evaluation. Her case was then discussed at a joint cardiac presentation and it was agreed that she be operated by the visiting doctor from the U.K.

She underwent open-heart surgery on 17^th July 2009 when her mitral valve was successfully repaired.  She made good progress both in Intensive Care Unit and the ward. 

She was discharged home in a stable condition on 29^th July 2009 to be followed up at the clinic.  She has since been reviewed at the clinic and is making good progress.

She aspires to be a nurse.

MOSES MACHARIA WAIRIMU

2-year-old Moses is an only child of his teenage mother, who is an orphan.  They hail from Nyeri where they stay with relatives.

Moses has been ill since birth and a heart defect was diagnosed at a Nyeri Hospital from where they were referred to Kenyatta National Hospital.

A well-wisher referred his mum to Mater where she met the cost of a full evaluation which enabled an accurate diagnosis to be made. Moses was found to have a hole in the heart. Surgery was recommended to close the hole.

His mother was counseled and co-funding concept explained to her and the well-wisher.  The well-wisher contributed Kshs.100,000/= towards the surgery which was successfully carried out on 29^th July 2009.

Moses made slow but steady recovery and was discharged home on 10^th August 2009.