Through The Fire
Jane
Jane (left) poses with her mother (right)
Jane* lives in Sumawe, a village within Karatu located only 10 minutes walking distance from FAME. She lives with her single mother and twin siblings, three years her junior.
Jane is now 12 years old, but back in 2019 when she was only eight, Jane suffered a terrible accident. On that particular day, while her mother was outside washing clothes, Jane decided to make herself some lunch. After heating her food on the stove, something unexpected happened. A sudden burst of flames caught her dress on fire, quickly spreading.
“When my dress caught fire, I was afraid of getting in trouble with my mom, so I didn’t shout for help. She had told me many times not to use the stove by myself and to ask her for help, but she was busy and I didn’t want to disturb her. I panicked and started running around the house, but this only made the fire spread faster. Luckily, my siblings entered the house and called for my mom to come and help me.”
“All I could hear from the twins when I was outside was, ‘Jane is on fire! Jane is on fire!’ At first, I thought they were just playing, as they were only five years old at the time. However, their cries became louder and louder, so I rushed inside and found Jane in flames. I ran and covered her with a blanket while my mother followed closely with a bucket of water, which she poured on Jane and put out the fire. Unfortunately, Jane had suffered severe burns on the left side of her body, from her legs to her armpit. It was terrible.”
Jane's mother and grandmother quickly took her to the nearest hospital in Karatu town, where she stayed for a month.
“After a month at the hospital, I ran out of money. I couldn’t afford to pay for Jane’s medical bills and provide food for my other two children at home, who depended on me. Even while she was in the hospital, the medical staff expected me to do a lot of the care for Jane, so I couldn’t leave her to go back home and work. This meant I had no income coming in. When I couldn’t pay the bills anymore, the doctors taught me how to clean her wounds as I had to do it at home. Jane was still very sick and it was clear she wasn’t close to being cured, but I had no choice but to bring her home.”
When Jane's mother brought her back home, she faced many challenges. She had to buy supplies daily from the pharmacy and tend to Jane's wounds. This was very painful for Jane because her mother couldn't afford painkillers, so she felt every touch while cleaning the wounds. Additionally, her mother had to leave Jane alone in the house at times so that she could work and try to earn money for both food and medicine.
Radiant and composed, Jane’s mother beams during the interview, recalling with warmth the transformative moment when her daughter found healing at FAME.
At home, Jane's wounds quickly got infected, causing her a lot of pain. Her mother's best efforts to clean the wounds proved insufficient. Some FAME nurses, who lived nearby, heard about Jane's situation and visited the family. After assessing the situation, they strongly recommended that Jane's mother bring her to FAME urgently. However, Jane's mother explained that she had no money and as much as she wanted to get medical help for Jane, she was unable to do so. The FAME nurses then reported the situation to FAME's Social Worker, Kitashu Nganana, who subsequently visited the family.
“When I visited the family, the situation was very sad. Jane was very sick and it was clear she could die from sepsis if we didn’t act quickly. Her mother had done everything she could to help her daughter. Out of community solidarity and following discussions with FAME management and staff, we decided to sponsor Jane’s treatment.”
Jane would spend three months at FAME’s inpatient ward.
“Talking about FAME always brings tears to my eyes. You not only saved my daughter’s life but also supported me a lot. FAME staff provided excellent care for her day and night such that I was able to go back to work knowing she was in good hands. When I visited, she was always happy and looked much better. God Bless FAME [wipes tears].”
“Before FAME, my recovery was very hard. My mom had to leave me alone while she went to work and I had no one to talk to. I couldn’t walk or even turn over. I could only sleep on my right side and every time I tried to walk, I was in a lot of pain. I was relieved when I came to FAME. The medical staff were really caring and kind, so I didn’t miss my mom as much as I used to when she had to work.”
“I spent Christmas of 2019 at FAME’s inpatient ward, and by then, FAME felt like home to me, so spending Christmas here didn’t bother me at all. The nurses brought us cake and we were all very happy, singing songs. Even the patients who were very ill had smiles on their faces. It was a wonderful day and I still remember it after all these years!”
After spending three months at FAME, Jane finally returned to school following an absence of over half a year. After a few weeks of catch-up lessons, she successfully rejoined her class without repeating a grade.
FAME wishes Jane all the best in her life journey and we are proud to have provided the patient-centered care that Jane and everyone in Karatu, Tanzania and around the world deserves.
+The patient’s name has been changed to protect her privacy and permission was secured to share her story. This interview has been translated from Swahili to English.