Hepatitis C in Nigeria, part 2: Marie’s Story
This is the second part of my post on Hepatitis C in Nigeria; this is Marie’s story. Marie agreed to share her story to help give an insight into the problems faced for people in low income situations around the world. People for whom even the price of generic Hepatitis C medication is impossible.
For me this story is both wonderful and terrible.
It is wonderful because I was able to help one person and her family to win the battle against Hepatitis C and Marie left sickness and sorry behind and is now well and healthy.
It is terrible because Marie is just one of around 2 million Nigerians infected with Hepatitis C and there is nothing I can really do to help all those people except by telling their story.
To God be the glory, I would like to share my short story of how I learned that I have hepatitis c & the way God helped me to come out of it.
I pray that my story will be giving hope to others who have this sickness.
I live in the nation of Nigeria where I am a widow 49 years old.
My husband died of liver failure some years ago and my heart is heavy when I think of him. I miss him very much.
I think it maybe I caught Hepatitis C from my husband because he died of liver disease. But I do not know because no-one knew of this sickness when he died.
When I began feeling sick every day my church say to me that it is good for me to go & do the test but is only antibody test because the viral load test I can not pay for… it is too much.
When I knew I have Hep c I went to see my doctor and I talked about it with my doctor and she advised me not to take alcohol, have outside sex, especial me being a widow. But she say is not the end of life for me but I was always sick and weak with pains.
And I had no hope because the doctor said, the medications is costing 300,000 naira.
After I came back home from the doctor no sleeping came to my eyes every night. I was awake wondering how can I get that money; I’m a widow, just working as just a church cleaner paying me #30,000 naira per month.
In bed I think that my husband die with liver sickness. The doctor said this Hep C will lead to liver sickness for me and I know that so soon I will die, because I can’t get this money of the medication, with 7 children’s what should I do?
I was sick and every day was a struggle to get us what we needed to eat.
Then through the kindness of God I discovered Mr Greg Jefferys and he helped me to get the medicine I needed.
For me it was like a miracle for soon my pains ended and my energy returned to me. Now I am strong and never weak again and it is not a struggle to feed my children
To God be the glory and thanks to Mr Greg Jeffery’s helped me to be alive again so may him live long so that he continue to help people like me. I wish the world would please do something for Nigerians living with Hepatitis C.
To read the rest of this blog, including Greg’s observations about hep C treatment in Africa, click here.
Greg’s blog is reprinted with permission, and the opinions expressed are entirely his.
