Alice A., 1

Alice is the youngest child of a single mother. She lives with her mother, older sister, a physically disabled aunt, and her great-grandparents in a two-roomed mud-walled house. At night, Alice and her mother sleep in a separate kitchen structure. The mother is unemployed and relies entirely on Alice’s grandfather, who earns a small income working as a security guard at a nearby school. The family learned about Helpster Charity while at the hospital after the mother confided in a nurse that she was unable to afford the hospital bills. According to the mother, Alice had previously been unwell but had recovered. On the day of the incident, she appeared well until later in the evening when she became unusually irritable and started crying. The mother initially thought the child was sleepy, but as she attempted to put her to bed, Alice began vomiting. Shortly afterward, she developed diarrhea and then started convulsing. With the help of a neighbor who had a motorcycle, the child was rushed to Sigomere Hospital and was later referred to Siaya County Referral Hospital for further management due to the severity of her condition.

Alice was brought to the hospital with complaints of vomiting, diarrhea and convulsions. She was diagnosed with severe pneumonia, anemia and febrile convulsions.These conditions called for prompt admission into the wards. She stayed in the wards for a couple of days during which she was administered cotrimaxazole syrup, paracetamol, HAART among other medicines to which she responded well. She was eventually discharged on orals and a follow up clinic booked for her.

Alice’s prognosis is guarded but hopeful, with the first 24 to 48 hours being the most critical for her recovery. While the combination of severe pneumonia and anemia carries a high risk of complications in infants under one year, her survival and full recovery are likely if she responds promptly to intravenous antibiotics, oxygen therapy, and blood transfusion.