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| Personal details | |
|---|---|
| Name | Gilbert, Sangara |
| Year of birth | 1969 |
| Place of birth | Kisi, Nord-West Kenia |
| Residence | Nairobi |
| Country | Kenya |
Social situation:
Gilbert is currently unemployed as he is virtually unable to walk. Previously, he carried out casual work in the automotive sector.
Since the death of his father and his mother’s chronic illness, as the eldest child he has been solely responsible for the upkeep and schooling of some of his six step-siblings, aged between 4 and 20.
He lives with his six siblings in a simple wooden hut without running water or electricity in the Kawangware slum in Nairobi.
Medical details:
Gilbert has been suffering for around 15 years from a chronic skin ulcer on his left lower leg, the cause of which is not entirely clear (‘non-specific’; no tuberculosis, no skin cancer, no HIV). Following a long hospital stay eight years ago, the wound was closed using his own skin. However, as he was the family’s breadwinner and could not afford to rest, parts of the skin were shed and the ulcer spread again. This completed the vicious circle of illness/injury and poverty. Gilbert experiences constant pain in his swollen leg, which he tries to manage with painkillers that he can only afford occasionally.
Unfortunately, when we first tried to treat him, he had to return to his home village after only a short time, as, being disabled and without work, he could not support himself and his family in Nairobi.
Now Gilbert has ‘reappeared’: in an even more dire condition…
In the hope of preventing an amputation – and with it, a life as a beggar – Tulisa is arranging for him to be seen in the surgical department of a suitable hospital in Nairobi – one that would, however, be completely beyond Gilbert’s means. There is now hope for him: following admission to hospital, treatment to reduce swelling, and meticulous skin and wound care, his wound could now be closed using plastic surgery. With a subsequent period of recovery in hospital, a full recovery would be possible this time. The costs amount to the equivalent of approximately €2,500 – by contributing this, you will be giving him and his six siblings a new, fulfilling future.
— As at 30 June 2010 —
Gilbert cannot be traced
Since the death of his father and his mother’s chronic illness, Gilbert, as the eldest child, has been solely responsible for the upkeep and schooling of his six step-siblings, aged between 1 and 16. He lives with his siblings in a simple wooden hut without running water or electricity in the Kawangware slum in Nairobi.
For around 12 years, Gilbert has been suffering from a chronic skin ulcer on his left lower leg, the cause of which is not entirely clear (‘non-specific’; not tuberculosis, not skin cancer, not HIV). Following a long hospital stay three years ago, the wound was closed using a skin graft.
However, as he was the family’s breadwinner and could not afford to rest, parts of the skin were rejected and the ulcer spread once more. This completed the vicious circle of illness – injury – poverty. Gilbert experiences constant pain in his swollen leg, which he has tried to manage with painkillers that he can only afford occasionally.
Following a long period of successful outpatient dressing changes, funded by Tulisa donors, and a period of inpatient care, his wound could now have been closed using plastic surgery. However, Gilbert was understandably exasperated and frustrated by the protracted treatment (which had partly prevented him from earning a living) and, against medical advice, travelled to his home village to seek peace and quiet and paid work, supposedly amongst his family. This undid the wound treatment, which had been successful up to that point. Should he return to Nairobi, however, there would be nothing to prevent him from undergoing further treatment. We will keep you updated.