Life can change in an instant—and that’s what happened to Josephine, a 12 year old student at KCS. Josephine was hit and knocked unconscious by an out-of-control motorbike on her way home from the market, where she had gone to buy food for her family. She fell, hit her head on the road, and was bleeding profusely.
Her mother—a housekeeper and active parent in i.HUG’s project—was called and asked that her daughter be rushed to the public hospital. There, they waited 10 hours. Finally, a CT scan was ordered. The hospital discharged Josephine, but soon the results of the CT scan revealed a dangerous blood clot in her brain. Desperate, Josephine’s mother called i.HUG for help. Our nurse rushed to the family, and took the girl to the international hospital for emergency surgery to relieve the pressure on Josephine’s brain.
The hours and days that followed were extremely tense ones, for this was a delicate procedure, and Josephine bravely endured the pain. Our staff and teachers were by the family’s side, bringing food and linens, offering support,- in short, doing everything they could to help fight for this little girl’s life. At the same time, i.HUG friends were campaigning for the nearly $5,000 it would take to make the surgery a success—a lot for our small charity, but a small amount to save Josephine.
The money was raised, the surgery was performed, and Josephine was finally released from the hospital. However, in the days and weeks that followed, Josephine needed tremendous follow-up care. Our staff nurse was on site to deliver it, along with the love and support the family needed.
Today, Josephine is ready to head back to school and rejoin the 7th grade, and continue her life. However, In Uganda, too many children die from preventable deaths. Your donation to i.HUG helps to save children’s lives, like Josephine. These children are waiting, and need your help.
Special thanks to Ragin Patel and Jane Dicker for their help in mobilizing the funds for Josephine’s surgery.
