Organizers spearheading the drive to help raise funds for Carol Atuhairwe who’s battling cancer have asked the public to continued support for her treatment.
In a news conference held on Tuesday at Panamera Bar, the lead organizer Muhereza Kyamutetera requested well wishers to participate in the car wash slated for Saturday 23 at Panamera parking lot.
“The exercise will begin at 10am in the morning and each car will be washed at a cost of Ugshs 50,000. We ask individuals and organizations to help participate in washing and also with washing materials like buckets,” Kyamutetera told journalists.
The drive has been undertaking several other channels to raise money including; Mobile money drive, auctioning T-shirts, watches and a social media campaign among others.
Kyamutetera said that of the Ugshs 270M required for Carol Atuheirwe’s treatment in USA, so far Ugshs 117,837,400 has been raised implying that Ugshs is still 152M remaining.
“She needs to be flown to the US at University of Cleveland, Ohio where she’ll undergo construction of her throat as well as examine whether there’s any cancer left in her.”
Agnes Mugyizi, the mother of the patient thanked Ugandans for their kindness in making sure her daughter receives treatment and gets relieved of the pain.
She narrated that Atuheirwe fell ill in 2011 and started spitting blood at which point the doctor suspected cancer and referred her to Mengo. Unfortunately at Mengo, they couldn’t find the cancer.
Carol Atuheirwe’s mother, Agnes Mugyizi (C) speaks to journalists with Muhereza Kyamutetera (L) the lead organizer of the fundraising drive
“Breathing became hard and we moved to various clinics and hospitals to establish the problem. In May 2012 she was opened up, a sample taken and she was diagnosed with malignant cancer. However since she was almost completing her studies at university, we decided she’s get treatment after,” she said.
On the very last day she was sitting her last paper, Carol got admitted at Mulago where diagnosis indicated negative for cancer and she was discharged for a year.
In 2013, 3 different samples were examined in different hospitals all of which showed that she had cancer.
She has been receiving radiotherapy treatment at Mulago but her mother says this did a big damage on Carol.
“I believe the radiotherapy machine had already broken down through her treatment. Much as it helped burn the tumor in her throat, it also burnt her right shoulder all through her chest.”
Atuheirwe’s esophagus would later fall off and a tube fixed on her throat through which she feeds. For this reason, she can’t speak.
The mother says that Atuhirwe recollects a total of 36 surgeries she has undergone all together including plastic surgery to reconstruct her chest body which had been burnt.
“Her state is very painful even for me who’s used to her but she’s strong and has faced it boldly. It’s surprising that she affords to do jewelry, knitting, bed covers and watches even while she’s bed
ridden,” said the mother.
Financial support for her treatment has come from some government officials, organizations, churches old students, celebrities and individuals from as far as USA, Canada, Rwanda and Tanzania.
Celebrities who have confirmed participation in Saturday’s car wash include Bobi Wine, Salvador, Coco Finger, Ruyonga, MC Kele Kele, Nince Henry, Miss Tourism, Daniel Omara and MC Kapale