Six years ago, Oscar Kireri was an active father, providing for his family and walking the bustling streets of Ruiru, Kiambu County. His life took an unexpected and devastating turn when he began experiencing minor difficulties while walking. What initially seemed like temporary fatigue quickly escalated. As the weeks turned into months, the stiffness grew worse, and the pain became excruciating.
After exhausting their meager savings on initial medical consultations, the family received a crushing diagnosis: a rare, aggressive bacterial infection had invaded Oscar’s bones, progressively destroying his skeletal structure.
Overnight, the family dynamic shifted. The proud father was rendered completely immobile, confined to a single bed inside their modest home. With no steady income and the staggering cost of specialized orthopedic care out of reach, Oscar’s sister stepped up, putting her own life on hold to become his full-time caregiver. For over half a decade, she has selflessly managed his daily survival—from feeding him to assisting with basic hygiene—while watching the heavy emotional and psychological toll of helplessness weigh on her brother.
The father’s prolonged illness has not only taken a severe physical toll but has also inflicted a heavy emotional and psychological burden on him and his loved ones. According to his family, the ordeal began with minor walking difficulties before progressively worsening into a severe disability. Subsequent medical examinations revealed that a severe bacterial infection had attacked his bones, leading to his current condition.
In the wake of this tragedy, Kireri’s sister has assumed the role of his full-time caregiver, attending to his every need, including basic sanitary tasks. She notes that the family’s distress is deeply compounded by severe financial constraints, which have completely blocked their access to the specialized treatment and continuous medical care Oscar urgently requires.
In a bid to restore hope to the ailing father, a group of well-wishers recently visited the family home, bringing with them a donation of assorted essential items to ease their daily burden.
The delegation, led by humanitarian Sammy Onyango, used the visit to make an impassioned appeal to Kenyans and corporate stakeholders to extend a helping hand to persons living with disabilities and those battling chronic illnesses. Onyango emphasized that vulnerable individuals require active love, care, and compassion from society to survive such dark times.
Beyond physical support, the humanitarians highlighted a critical, often ignored aspect of chronic illness:
“We must create an environment where men feel safe to express their vulnerability and seek psychological help,” Onyango urged.
The group concluded by calling upon government agencies, civil society organizations, and the general public to collaborate in building robust support systems. These systems, they noted, are vital to ensuring that vulnerable citizens can easily access medical treatment, mental health counseling, and social assistance.
How to Help
If you wish to support Oscar Kireri’s medical fund or assist his family with caregiving supplies, please contact [Kireri’s Sister on 0726791551].
