At the age of 52, Ojera Alex Kinyera was an active and hardworking man. He spent most of his life in his hometown of Agago, where he was born and raised. He lived with his wife and children, worked to support his family, and life felt settled and good. Even when he was posted to a new workplace in Palaro, everything seemed fine. But a simple cold soon changed his life in ways he never expected.
Ojera shared his story when we met him after he underwent plastic surgery at St. Mary’s Hospital, Lacor.
“It started one morning, four days after I reported to my new workplace in Palaro,” he said. “Like any other day, I fetched water, bathed, and got ready for work. But on this fateful day, after bathing, I suddenly felt very cold. The cold wasn’t ordinary cold, thought and knew something was wrong.”
He left the bathroom, made some warm tea, and drank it, hoping to feel better. Instead, he vomited. Thinking it was malaria, he took the Coartem he had at home. By evening, his condition had worsened.
“I could no longer feel my right leg. That’s when I knew I needed urgent medical help,” Ojera said.
He called his brother, who is a health worker and advised him to go for injections since the medicine was not helping. That evening, Ojera went to a drug shop where he received injections for two days, without any medical tests, but still, his condition did not improve.
“My right leg started to swell, and I began feeling pain in my back going to my neck,” he explained.
Life can change very fast. It often moves forward quietly until something sudden changes everything. Within just two days, Ojera’s life turned upside down. He could not walk out of the clinic where he had gone for treatment. He was weak, in pain, and alone.
That is when he called his wife.
She arrived within hours, and after seeing her husband’s swollen leg, stiff waist, and neck that could not turn, she acted quickly. Instead of going back home, she decided they come go straight to St. Mary’s Hospital, Lacor, and it marked the beginning of a very long hospital stay at St. Mary’s Hospital, Lacor, far from home.
At Lacor, doctors carried out tests and scans to find the cause of his illness. Ojera was then
Mr Ojera in his room after surgery
diagnosed with cellulitis, a serious bacterial infection of the skin. It causes painful swelling that feels hot and red.
“My condition was bad, I felt death very close,” Ojera said. “I even received the anointing of the sick. I also decided to officially wed my wife on a hospital bed. After that, we placed everything in God’s hands and trusted the doctors, especially after they told me I had multiple organ failure.” This bit hard, but he was ready for whatever was coming.
Then a few days later, he underwent surgery on his right leg, which went well but left him with a large scar and a stiff knee.
After some time, he recovered and returned home, but he continued to worry about his leg. However, not all hope was lost. He kept hoping until he heard good news on the radio, announcing that a team of doctors from Bristol in the United Kingdom, led by Dr Orlando Antonio, a plastic surgeon, would be coming to Lacor to perform specialised surgeries. This was all he needed to know, and he immediately left for Lacor, where he got booked for 8th December.
Many patients were screened, but only a few could be operated on each day because of the complexity of the procedures.
Ojera w
as among those selected. He was the first to undergo surgery, which took the whole day.
And five days later, we spoke to him again after the surgery, and he was looking jolly and happy. “I am very grateful,” he said. “I have no words to explain how happy I am. I thank God and everyone who organised this camp.” He said.
His leg can now stretch a little without pain. He needs more time for the wounds to heal before he can walk fully again.
For Dr Orlando and his team of team, coming back to Lacor feels special. “The warm welcome we receive every time we come here is amazing,” said Carolina, a theatre nurse. “It feels like coming home. I am happy to say that we are part of the Lacor family.”
“In our work, we move from place to place. But when we return to Lacor, we feel connected again. The real strength of this hospital is in the nurses, cleaners, cooks, and office staff. Seeing them every year and being able to help patients is more rewarding than any holiday.” Dr Orlando added to what his colleague said.
The plastic surgical team that brings hope to all of us through their selfless services and radiant smiles
At the time of this writing, more than 30 patients had already been successfully worked on, and we remain on the lookout for more intriguing moments from the plastic surgery camp. Looking ahead, the next camp will focus on goitre surgeries starting next month.
