Farida N., 14

Farida is a 14-year-old Grade 7 student living in a rural community with limited access to basic services. Her family often walks long distances to fetch water and purchase food, and they rely on a pit latrine for sanitation. The household depends entirely on her mother, who earns about KSh 2,000 a month from hawking at the local market. Despite these challenges, Farida is a dedicated student with aspirations of becoming a teacher after completing her education. She has been diagnosed with malaria and a vaso-occlusive crisis, a severe complication of sickle cell disease. She recently presented to a health facility with complaints of headache, fever, lower limb pain, and episodes of diarrhea. Her mother further reported that she has a poor appetite, gets fatigued easily, and experiences frequent coughing. Because of her ongoing health challenges and the difficulty of walking to school, Farida has been unable to attend classes for the past three weeks.

Farida, a known sickle cell anemia patient, was experiencing malaria and vaso occlusive crisis. She received treatment that included antibiotics, antimalaria drugs, rehydration fluids, and medication for sickle cell management. Once her condition stabilized, she was discharged from the hospital to continue treatment at home. During a follow-up call from a Helpster volunteer, her mother expressed her gratitude and appreciation for the quality care and support provided by Helpster Charity. she is doing well

If Farida was left untreated for both severe malaria and vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients it could have lead to severe complications and even death. Severe malaria can result in organ failure (including liver and kidney failure), pulmonary edema, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Vaso-occlusive crises, if not managed, can cause tissue damage, stroke, heart attack, and organ failure.