Story by Sherine Atieno and Photos by Ondari Ogega
When two-year-old Parloma Apondi was born with omphalocele, a rare condition where some abdominal organs develop outside the body, her parents feared for her survival. This week, during the annual paediatric surgical camp at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), she finally received the life-changing surgery her family had been waiting for.
To her father, Kevin Odhiambo, a 45-year-old businessman at Kibuye Market, Parloma is his miracle baby. At six months of pregnancy, her mother began bleeding heavily. While some healthcare workers advised her to terminate the pregnancy, others prescribed medication that stabilized the pregnancy. Against all odds, Parloma was carried to term.
However, nothing prepared the family for what they saw at delivery. The baby’s intestines were outside her body. She was immediately referred to JOOTRH, placed in an incubator, and carefully wrapped to protect the exposed organs. Doctors later booked her for surgery, which was eventually scheduled for the specialized paediatric surgical camp.
“The camp has lifted a huge financial burden,” Mr. Odhiambo says, reflecting on the long journey. “Physically, emotionally, and financially, it has not been easy. But today, I believe my daughter has a chance at life.”
Parloma’s condition also weighed on her young mind. Her father says she became withdrawn, avoiding other children and shrinking from public attention because of her enlarged stomach. “You may never know what you are carrying during pregnancy — the outcome is only in God’s hands,” he says.
Now, after surgery and proper post-operative dressing to aid her recovery, Mr. Odhiambo is grateful to see his daughter healing. He also praises JOOTRH for its improved services. “The cleanliness here is on top, the drugs are available, and the facilities have really transformed,” he says.
Parloma is one of many children who benefited from the three-day camp, organized by the Kenya Association of Paediatric Surgeons (KAPS) in collaboration with JOOTRH, with all costs covered by the Social Health Authority (SHA).
