Rude. Difficult. Lazy. These were just a few of the choice words Dr Lynnete Moraa’s friends and peers used to describe her growing up. This was because ordinary activities like house chores wiped out her energy and left her extremely tired with excruciating backaches. She used to wonder how people could work the whole day without getting tired.
“My mother said that at birth, I had a small black patch on my back, which kept growing but later stopped. She was worried but there was nothing she could have done. She always blames herself for having done nothing earlier hoping that the issue could have been resolved. At one time the patch became itchy and septic,” says the fifth born in a family of eight.
One of her sisters joined a nursing school and told her parents that what Lynette suffered from could be a serious condition, which needed proper diagnosis and management.
Dr Lynnete Moraa with her husband John Mackambo and their children Precious Alvine (2nd left) and Becky Blessing, 11, during the interview at their home in Langas Estate, Eldoret.
Make family proud
“At the time, I was in Form Three and could not imagine dropping out of school to seek medical attention because I knew I could not pursue both at the same time due to financial issues,” she says, adding that though with a gloomy future at that time, she promised herself to work hard and make her family proud.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, spina bifida is a congenital anomaly where the spinal column does not develop normally during the first weeks of pregnancy. This causes permanent damage to the spinal cord and nervous system and can result in paralysis of the lower limbs or problems with bowel and bladder function. Lynette was born with spina bifida occulta. Occulta is the mildest and most common form in which one or more bones of the spinal column vertebrae, are malformed.
The name occulta, which means “hidden,” indicates that a layer of skin covers the opening in the bones of the spine. It is often found by accident on an x-ray, MRI or similar test. This form of spina bifida very rarely causes disabilities.
“Growing up was tough for me. I could not do things that even my younger siblings could do. If I were to clean utensils, I would do it while seated. My mother was concerned, but to others, I was just being rude and difficult.”
Remains humble
Lynette, 40, holds a PhD in Weed Science and an MSc in Crop Protection both from the University of Eldoret and works at the same institution as a laboratory technician in the School of Environmental Studies, Department of Environmental Biology and Health.
Despite her achievements, the mother of three remains humble, aware of the bumpy ride she has endured on her way.
“In my life, I have been guided by the principle that nothing should stand in your way of great achievement since everything has a solution. Choose what works for you.”
Lynette pretended she was okay so that she could stay in school and finish her high school studies. She started seeking proper treatment in 1999 after her secondary school.
“After several x-rays, I was referred to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). I attended clinics at KNH for three years without anything forthcoming and gave up then decided to join college. My mother wept at the idea of me going to college while still sick, but I was adamant.”
Dr Moraa feeding her chickens at her home in Langas Estate, Eldoret.
Back pains persist
Lynette could not sit for long and sometimes suffered excruciating pain when bending. This made her have a challenge when doing her laundry without assistance.
She attended Mawego Technical Training Institute between 2002 and 2004 for a diploma course in Applied Biology and later joined the then Kenya Polytechnic for a Higher Diploma in Applied Biology before joining the University of Eldoret where she got all her three degrees.
Lynette was married in 2008 and got pregnant in 2009 though doctors had advised her against carrying a pregnancy because of her back pains.
“All the pregnancies were smooth, save for a two-week bed rest. Since we were not sure of the extent of the spine condition, I opted for an elective caesarean section.”
Indian doctors
In April 2015, while already a mother of two children and pursuing her MSc degree, Lynette learnt of an intended visit by Indian doctors to Eldoret Hospital that was to be on the following day.
“After examining my medical report, the doctors advised that I needed to undergo surgery in India to correct my discs at L4, L5 and S1 –these are the lowest vertebrae of the lumbar spine, that supports the upper body and allow motion in different directions. I left the hospital hopeful at heart that though I may not have the said surgery because of financial constraints, at least there was hope that what I suffered from was treatable.”
But her husband assured her that she would have the surgery, whatever it took.
“On August 2015 and having handed in my MSc thesis for examination, we left for Shalby Hospital in India where I was diagnosed with spina bifida. I had surgery on August 10. The surgery was minimally invasive and took two hours and recovery was fast. The whole treatment cost us about Sh1 million.”
Successful procedures
She underwent two successful procedures. The first procedure was to relieve pressure on the discs. Then it was discovered that part of the spinal bones had broken and was piercing her flesh and disrupting blood flow to the lower limbs. The pieces were removed using forceps.
Lynette was no longer in pain but was numb at her lower spine. A test had to be done on the lesion on her back which was becoming itchy.
“The lesion is so ugly. There was an option to have it removed but since the doctor said it did not pose any medical challenge, I declined. It is a physical reminder of what I went through. I chose to live with it. The surgery marked the end of my pain. After 34 years of spina bifida, I am now on my sixth year of a new me.”
Academic prowess
“Through all this, two months later in November 2015, I graduated with a Master’s degree in crop protection. I was the first to graduate in a class of five and since then, only one other student has made it to graduation. It was a year of mixed emotions.”
Lynette is grateful for her supportive husband who gladly stepped in whenever they did not have house helps.
“It was difficult for my children to understand why I had to delegate duties that I could do for myself. At times, they would insist that it is a mother who should do certain tasks and other times they wanted to be carried around on the back, something I could not do. But with time, they understood my condition.”
Lynette continued with her education in September 2010, joining at second year because of the diploma and higher diploma. From then till November 2019, she was always in class.
Her children wondered what it is that she was searching for since she could graduate and immediately be in another class.
“Being limited physically, I felt I had to go further to compensate for the things I could not do manually. I had to give myself a title and at least be known for something. For once, in my PhD study, I did not have any back pain and I was able to concentrate. Life started being enjoyable.”
The only student
“I was the only student in my PhD class. There had been no student in that course since the curriculum was developed by Moi University in 1984. I, therefore, had no one to learn from, but I was encouraged that at last, I could hold a ‘first’,” she says.
Lynette graduated in 2019.
“When my story went public the first time, I got many calls of people asking about issues to do with back pain and some have spina bifida. This shows that there is little information on this congenital condition available to many people.”
Lynette is a member of spina bifida associations on social media all of which are in developed countries. In these groups, many members are on wheelchairs and others have no bowel and bladder control.
The patch on her skin remains and when in a queue with no seats, she will either squat, lean on something or just sit down even on the ground.
Despite the challenges she has undergone, Lynette is grateful for her journey and glad that she did not let pain dim her light. BY DAILY NATION
