Here is the moving story of a Kenyan in Perth, Western Australia by the name of Eric Gaitho. Eric is a gallant fighter facing insurmountable odds in a baffling medical case. At only 29 years, he is in deep waters in the fight of his life. Luckily, the community is rallying behind him. He shares his life story and vicissitudes of fortune in this exclusive interview.
Kip: How do you manage to remain so positive despite being smack in the middle of fighting a monster?
Eric: It has not been an easy journey. However, every cloud has a silver lining. My condition has brought out the best in my friends and even complete strangers. The overwhelming support I continue to receive has kept me in a permanent state of gratitude.
I keep my mum updated on my journey and she is very happy that I have decided on a treatment. When I told her what people here were doing, she shed tears. We are proud and thankful for everyone who has walked this journey with me.
Kip: Tell me something about your mum and family in Kenya. How did they take it? What would your mum say to all the people who have answered your call for help?
Eric: My mum is a very strong woman. We lost our dad when we were very young. She has been mum and dad in our family. She chose to work in war torn areas despite the associated dangers to secure a good future for us.
In 2012 she had a cancer that was life threatening. She spent endless days in hospital. She is now in Kenya, happy, healthy and hopeful.
The cancer is now in remission. She lives with our younger brother who had to take care of her in that period. My elder sister and I are in Australia.
Mum always reminds me of her journey and how God works miracles. She has been here (Perth, Western Australia) and she could not help but notice how much of a tight community we are. Her words, “the best example of being one’s brother’s keeper”.
She is one of the proudest parents. It is incredibly touching to know that your child is receiving so much support from people in a far away land. She is so proud and thankful to everyone.
I come from a prayerful family and they all encourage me to never give up.
Kip: Looking back over the last few years, what has been the impact of having your sister Wendy in Perth throughout your ups and downs?
Eric: Wendy has always been such an inspiration even before we came to Australia. She has always been in control even when things seem a bit too much to handle.
Having her in Perth has been a big plus. She supported me both emotionally and financially when I got here. She meticulously laid out my Australian foundation. When this disease decided to come she stood by me all the way.
Oh, now she comes in a package of three people. A cool brother-in-law and my cute niece, Chelsea.
Kip: Any plans to give your sister Wendy a cool sister-in-law in return?
Eric: Of-course. She will get a cool sister-in-law in Jane. My fiance Jane and I are planning to tie the knot in Kenya, January 2017, God willing. Anyone at home then, please avail yourself.
Kip: I heard of your unique engagement party… details please...
Eric: Hahaha. I saw this coming.
I popped the questions in a shopping mall. Yes. People kept asking me how I made the decision and how I knew she would love the idea. I knew the type of rings she loved. It took me months to come down to two rings. One day I woke up, went to the store and made my pick.
A few months into our relationship, I randomly asked what her dream proposal would be. She said a public place. More specifically, a shopping mall or a restaurant. I worked in a shopping mall with a fantastic team and management. When I told them what I had in mind, they told me it can be done.
I organised family and friends and they formed a whatsapp group to help organise. I intentionally asked to be left out because Jane would have been suspicious. A dance group was formed around the time when Sauti Soul had released the song ‘Sura Yako’.
My manager called up Jane and said she should come for a surprise they were organising for me. Jane came all dressed up thinking it was a surprise for me.
Then she saw me in a tux. I did the whole one knee vibe and along came a big group of familiar faces dancing to Sura Yako playing on the mall speakers.
Camera flashes and people around. She said yes, I’m not even sure she heard the question! She was in tears, screaming and jumping! Months of planning were a success. She could not express her shock. And here we are now.
Kip: How would you describe Jane, your fiance?
Eric: She is the best person ever. I know that sounds cliche but it’s true. I met her when I just got to Perth. She makes me smile and encourages me when I feel lost. It was not hard for me to make the decision to marry her. And my family loves her. I actually think she can win an election. She is a people’s person.
Kip: How did she take the news about the disease? How has she supported you?
Eric: When she heard of the condition, it frightened her but she did everything to try and hide it. I later figured out that she did this to ‘level the scale’. She knew that if I saw the scare in her, it would break the remaining part I had left.
On support, she has been the one I lean on. I sometimes wake up and don’t feel like doing anything. Just be in bed for the whole day. But along comes Jane and she reminds me that this is only temporary. She encourages me to give it my all. She checks if I have done my exercises and what I had planned.
Kip: Do you believe that this is only temporary?
Eric: Oh yes I do. I shall overcome. With the prayers and generous support I am getting, I am full of hope. I still have a lot to do and give in life.
Kip:That is a great attitude to have. What are some of the top 5 things you want to achieve in your lifetime?
Eric: 1) Bring up a happy family.I lost my father when I was a young boy but the few memories I have of him was when we did stuff together e.g making toys and him teaching us how to ride a bike. I want to have such an impact on my future family. I have the better half bit sorted. Children remaining.
2). Dance like there is no tomorrow. My fiancé loves to dance. I want to do this with her.
3). Be remembered for the good I have done. There is too much negativity in the world. I avoid the news sometimes. Not that it would make everything stop. But to have some peace of mind. I want to have a positive effect on those around me, and if possible beyond. Let my actions be remembered for the good I have done and never a negative.
4). Travel the world. You can never learn enough. Out there, there is something I am yet to know and experience.
5). Sky dive and land on water. This is just one of those things I have in mind.
Kip: Let’s change gears a bit. Walk us through the journey of diagnosis. What were the initial symptoms? How did you take it emotionally?
Eric: In March 2014, I started getting fatigued quite early in the day. My normal shift was 12 hours and I was used to long days so this was quick to pick up. I also noticed my walking was sluggish, I lost my balance quite easily and I could not run.
I hate hospitals but this time I just called up and made an appointment with my GP. As I told him what was happening, I couldn’t help but notice concern is his look. He sent me to a neurologist.
Emotionally, I was confused. I could not help but wonder where it came from. It is a mysterious condition, unknown cause and unknown cure. My fiancé was equally shaken by it. We had plans of getting married and start a family and now this. The first weeks were hard. No doubt.
Kip: How long did it take for the complete diagnosis to be done?
Eric: It was three months of tests and visiting more neurologists. I saw three in total. I grew more concerned because I had a feeling that they knew what was up but did not know how to tell me. Finally my neurologist informed me that he had enough evidence to diagnose Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
Another part of MS that is still a mystery is that it affects everyone differently. For me, it has affected my right leg more. There are people who might have their speech affected or another part of the body.
An MRI scan shows the presence of lesions in the brain and/ or spine. Blood tests are also used to check any deficiencies. My tests indicated that I was low on vitamin D. We also have a Lumbar Puncture.
All these, and more tests, are used to detect MS. They seem to be many but I don’t think doctors want to wrongly diagnose.
I had several MRI scans, multiple blood tests and a Lumbar Puncture. As for me, they had to carry out all these tests because of my ethnic background and the rarity of me having this conditions.
Kip: How has MS affected the quality of your day to day living?
A normal day starts with me spending approximately 30 minutes in bed when I wake up. I feel my body from head to toe to make sure that I can feel every inch of it. I also move almost every limb to make sure I have had no relapse. That is the greatest fear.
I noticed a relapse once when I was brushing my teeth. I noticed that I found it hard to hold my toothbrush with my right arm. I called my neurologist and he recommended I get an MRI scan done. It was then noticed that there was an increase in the lesions thus the relapse.
In two weeks, all was back to normal. I make sure I work out. I was once told after my diagnosis that once I stop moving, my limbs might decide to ‘chill’ so I try and move as much as I can from morning to evening. Cold days are much better but if it is quite hot, I feel fatigued quite early. If this is the case, I have to have a nap to recharge.
I have had to change my diet to a more healthier one with fruits and veggies taking lead. My fiance loves this. I love cooking as it is a form of relaxation and try and work wonders in the kitchen. Jane never seems to mind. In fact, she encourages me to try whatever. She love’s the food.
I have ended up with a goldfish memory and forget stuff a lot. I might go for shopping and forget a lot of what I went for. I sometimes have a list but I might forget that too. I end up making numerous trips to the shops. I never mind this as it gives me much needed exercise. The fuel tank is never impressed though.
The fact that even doctors can’t predict the condition puts me on the edge. The fear that it can go south at any time is scary. When we are not together, I try and keep in contact with Jane to inform her that I am ok. She calls me whenever she gets the opportunity for the same reason.
She has been strong through all this. I pray that God watches over us through this journey and that He gets us out safely. When I go to bed at night, no incidents, no relapses, that is a good day.
Kip: Please walk us through the planned treatment, recovery roadmap… timelines, time away from work etc.
The decision to go for a stem cell treatment was one of the hardest decisions I will have to make. It is plainly a leap of faith. This is why I keep telling people to pray for me.
The dangers of a transplant are there. I have had a look at other institutions around the world and China seemed like my best option. I believe that the procedure will be a success and God will see me through.
The treatment is going to run for three weeks.The first and second week are going to
be the main treatment with a Lumbar Puncture and Intravenous injections. This will be followed up with a series of Chinese medication.
The final phase will involve physiotherapy. My prayer is that I will be out within the estimated period. I am sure I will be advised to continue with physio and work outs. I will also have to leave hospital with discharge medication to assist with the final part of the treatment.
I am no longer working so, I guess, no time away from work.
My prayer is that all will go as planned. God will see me through.
Kip: Let us talk about money. How has MS affected you financially ? How much is covered by the insurance company? How much is required for a successful treatment? How can we as a community help?
The first blow was when I lost my job. I know that my employers had to come up with a ‘return-to-work’ plan and this added me another year in the workplace. After that, I knew something had be done.
I was very lucky to have full private medical cover. This has covered a lot of my medical expenses. A lot. Unfortunately it doesn’t cover overseas treatments.
This treatment is scarily expensive. It will cost approximately USD $35,000 (approx AUD $50,000, KSH 3.6m). I also get to go with my fiance whose accommodation and flights is in the sum.
Community help is ongoing. With prayers and financial contributions. I have frequently received calls and messages from people everywhere encouraging me to be strong since my diagnosis.
Kip: How would you describe your support network within the Kenyan community in Perth since diagnosis?
Amazing is an understatement. Like me, most people did not know what MS was. I provided as much information as I could and most people went out and did their own research. Those with any questions came and asked.
There is a group of my friends that was formed to cover my out-of-pocket expenses. This boy group has been extra supportive. There are meetings that have been held constantly to be on top of things. They have a whatsapp group which they use to coordinate themselves.
I used to be a closed book before but I was encouraged by many to come out and share my story. The outcome was super. It is always good to know that people out there are praying for you and sending you words of encouragement. Words cannot express my gratitude to the Kenyan community and supporters around the world.
Kip: Thanks for sharing your story. May you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2016.
Eric: Thank you. I cannot explain how people have been of support through this journey and still are. All I can say is that God bless each and everyone.
Editor’s Note: The Only Thing Necessary for the Triumph of Evil is that Good Men Do Nothing (Edmund Burke). Please do something for Eric this Christmas. Here are some suggested options:
1) Donate to his GoFundMe Campaign, (Please donate whether you have $5 or $5000, every little bit counts).
2) Share His Story on your social media accounts,
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