Where would i be without aunt?
May 08, 2009
THERE seems to be no befitting word that I can use to describe my mom Mary Karooro Okurut apart from “angelâ€.
THERE seems to be no befitting word that I can use to describe my mom Mary Karooro Okurut apart from “angelâ€.
People who have had the chance to know mom will agree with me. Mom is kind, gentle, full of humour, caring, loves others above self; the list is long... As for her character, I will save that for another day.
My real mother, Rose Karooro, died when I was young. But the memories I have are of my darling angel mom Mary.
I used to live with her at Makerere University where she used to lecture and I remember always going to her office and watching her work.
Mom spoilt me from an early age, I used to sleep with her in the same bed and when she would have her tea I would also ask to have tea with her in bed.
On Saturdays she would change my hairstyle and dress me up! Mom showered me with so much love (she still does); she always provided for me and I never, for a second, missed the love of mom Rose.
For now, when I am not well, all I have to do is snuggle up to mom and I get this peace — it is hard to describe. Mom has been there for me through thick and thin.
My health has always been delicate. A few years back, I got a problem with my leg. It got so bad that I had to use crutches.
One day, mom came back from work and found me throwing up. She, with the help of aunt Siri (as we love to call her), got me into the car and took me to Busingye Medical Centre.
My angel mom and aunt carried me up the steps to the centre. I was crying because of the pain and so was mom.
Aunt Siri told her to stop crying in front of me. I remember mom telling her “bishi nomanyisa ki?†(what do you mean?).
That was the beginning of our nightmare! Mom has always wanted what is best for me. She took me to International Hopital Kampala and Kololo Hospital, yet she had 10 other children she was taking care of, not to mention the bills among other things.
At Kololo, I recall saying: “Mom, the bill is going to be very high,†to which she replied “As long as you have life, money is nothing.†That statement stuck in my head.
To cut the long story short, I was diagonised with cancer and a bone marrow transplant had to be done before I was put on medication.
We secured an appointment at the Heart Insititute in Mulago Hospital. On the day of the bone marrow removal, mom asked me whether anybody was going with me. I told her I was going alone.
She had a Parliament session to attend that day but when she realised that I was going alone, she cancelled her plans. I told her it was ok, but she would not hear of that.
We got to Mulago and the doctors started the process. When they started drilling my hip-bone, I could not stand the pain! I asked mom to tell them to stop.
She did but the doctor said they could not because they were using a new kit on me. Trust mom to stand her ground.
She insisted and they had to stop. She rushed me out of the room and much as one of the nurses tried to stop her because she had not yet paid for my treatment, mom told her that her first priority was to get me comfortable.
The nurse must have seen something in mom’s eyes because she backed off quickly.
On our way home, mom called her sister, Kyomu. By then she was working with the Organisation for African Unity in Nairobi. Mom told her she was sending me over.
Nothing was going to get in mom’s way. That is just how selfless my angel mom is.Mom, there is just so much to write about you, but this was just for Mothers Day, to let you know just how much you mean to me.
This, angel mom, is in honour of you. I will love you to the very end, my darling angel mom!
Your daughter, Hope or Hopkins as you love to call me
People who have had the chance to know mom will agree with me. Mom is kind, gentle, full of humour, caring, loves others above self; the list is long... As for her character, I will save that for another day.
My real mother, Rose Karooro, died when I was young. But the memories I have are of my darling angel mom Mary.
I used to live with her at Makerere University where she used to lecture and I remember always going to her office and watching her work.
Mom spoilt me from an early age, I used to sleep with her in the same bed and when she would have her tea I would also ask to have tea with her in bed.
On Saturdays she would change my hairstyle and dress me up! Mom showered me with so much love (she still does); she always provided for me and I never, for a second, missed the love of mom Rose.
For now, when I am not well, all I have to do is snuggle up to mom and I get this peace — it is hard to describe. Mom has been there for me through thick and thin.
My health has always been delicate. A few years back, I got a problem with my leg. It got so bad that I had to use crutches.
One day, mom came back from work and found me throwing up. She, with the help of aunt Siri (as we love to call her), got me into the car and took me to Busingye Medical Centre.
My angel mom and aunt carried me up the steps to the centre. I was crying because of the pain and so was mom.
Aunt Siri told her to stop crying in front of me. I remember mom telling her “bishi nomanyisa ki?†(what do you mean?).
That was the beginning of our nightmare! Mom has always wanted what is best for me. She took me to International Hopital Kampala and Kololo Hospital, yet she had 10 other children she was taking care of, not to mention the bills among other things.
At Kololo, I recall saying: “Mom, the bill is going to be very high,†to which she replied “As long as you have life, money is nothing.†That statement stuck in my head.
To cut the long story short, I was diagonised with cancer and a bone marrow transplant had to be done before I was put on medication.
We secured an appointment at the Heart Insititute in Mulago Hospital. On the day of the bone marrow removal, mom asked me whether anybody was going with me. I told her I was going alone.
She had a Parliament session to attend that day but when she realised that I was going alone, she cancelled her plans. I told her it was ok, but she would not hear of that.
We got to Mulago and the doctors started the process. When they started drilling my hip-bone, I could not stand the pain! I asked mom to tell them to stop.
She did but the doctor said they could not because they were using a new kit on me. Trust mom to stand her ground.
She insisted and they had to stop. She rushed me out of the room and much as one of the nurses tried to stop her because she had not yet paid for my treatment, mom told her that her first priority was to get me comfortable.
The nurse must have seen something in mom’s eyes because she backed off quickly.
On our way home, mom called her sister, Kyomu. By then she was working with the Organisation for African Unity in Nairobi. Mom told her she was sending me over.
Nothing was going to get in mom’s way. That is just how selfless my angel mom is.Mom, there is just so much to write about you, but this was just for Mothers Day, to let you know just how much you mean to me.
This, angel mom, is in honour of you. I will love you to the very end, my darling angel mom!
Your daughter, Hope or Hopkins as you love to call me