“When one door closes, another door opens” is a saying that reminds us to let go of our disappointment and embrace new opportunities. 

For Affo Morow, a seven-year-old Togolese national born with congenital malformation of the bladder and genitals — a rare disease that occurs in 1 in 60,000 births, the saying carries even more meaning.  

According to doctors back in Togo, Affo was already living longer than they expected since they saw no hope of reversing his condition, according to his mother, Faouzia Ban.  

Affo who braved the 3,760 kilometres journey from Togo to Uganda underwent an operation conducted by Ugandan surgeons starting April 20, 2023, from St Mary’s Hospital Lacor in Gulu city. 

Ban who spoke to New Vision weeks after the operation said before the procedure her son had “his bladder and urethra exposed to the outside of the abdominal wall.”  

Affo lays in his hospital bed after a successful operation while his mother Ban Faouzia touches him

“As he grew, I never moved an inch from his side. I wanted to be with him…I used to change his diapers five times a day,” she recalled.  

Healing   

When Affo could no longer attend school as his condition deteriorated, his mother knew she had to do something to save his life.   

She started by seeking support from Togolese nationals in the diaspora so that her son could undergo the surgery in either France or Belgium, a quest that did not yield fruits since the cost of having Affo flown to either of the countries was prohibitive.  

An Italian entity offered partial coverage for the costs of an operation in Switzerland in 2019 but the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic frustrated those plans, according to Ban.  

Affo’s break came in August 2022, when a family friend who lives in Italy contacted Surgery for Children asking it to cover the travel, accommodation, and surgery expenses in an Italian–affiliated medical facility with which they had arrangements.  

“It would be very costly for Surgery for Children to sponsor the surgery in a health facility in Italy since it would part with additional costs of routine checkups. There was then no choice but to seek a specialist within Africa,” said an expert at Lacor Hospital.  

A ray of hope  

On January 11, 2023, when the Government of Uganda declared that the country was Ebola-free and movement in and out of the country could normalise, Ban knew that her prayers had been answered.  

There was a Surgery for Children clinic organised by St Mary’s Hospital Lacor from April 14-28.  

“I had been praying to Allah five times a day for my son’s health,” she revealed.  

“Lacor Hospital is particular about the health needs of patients from humble backgrounds regardless of the country of origin. It is also committed to overcoming the bureaucratic constraints of entry into the country with Affo and her mother serving as the best example,” said a health expert at Lacor Hospital.  

Affo lays in his hospital bed after a successful operation while his mother Ban Faouzia touches him,

Finally, Affo, his mother, and a language interpreter (from French to English) set foot at Lacor Hospital for the specialised surgery, thanks to efforts by a group of Togolese nationals living in Belgium.  

Doctor’s accounts  

Dr Isaac Okello, one of the doctors who worked on Affo, explained that “the treatment involved the reconstruction of the bladder, urethra, and penis, the reconstruction of the bladder neck, as well as an additional adaptive procedure to control urinary incontinence.” 

“We had to conduct the surgery with maximum care since any slight mistake would mean the patient would become impotent,” Okello explained amidst smiles. 

Request for support 

Dr Cyprian Opira, the executive director of St Mary’s Hospital Lacor, however, appealed to the Government to waive taxes on non-medical supplies and equipment so that the hospital can deliver services to financially challenged patients. 

“We receive several patients from as far as Togo, Nigeria, and South Sudan, among others every month, something that calls for support from the Government,” said Opira. 

“Our equipment needs to be serviced after every five years and it becomes so expensive for us if the Government taxes the spare parts or new ones being imported,” he lamented. 

Emmanuel Ayinebyona, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, advised the facility’s management to write to Uganda Revenue Authority requesting a tax waiver on such non–medical supplies and equipment.