Story of ex-Kenya Police winger needing Ksh2 million after mother agrees to donate kidney

Only a handful under the sun can express the true measure of motherly love better than, former Kenya Police FC and national U-23 team, winger Reagan Paul Otieno.

Otieno was basking in the glory of an unprecedented football career breakthrough, and financial stability, until all hell broke loose in October 2023.

What was supposed to be a routine check-up, with a specialist, at the Guru Nanak Ramgarhia Sikh Hospital in Parkroad Area, Nairobi turned out to be the worst moment of his life, as it marked the genesis of a prolonged health battle, financially draining journey and a possible end to the once-blossoming football career.

A healthy and bubbly Otieno strolled to the facility, in the company of Kenya Police and Harambee Stars physiotherapist Noel Mandi, to see a specialist, undergo tests, and get medication for anaemia, which had troubled him for several weeks.

He had been advised by Malkit Singh Main, the treasurer of the Kenya Police FC Board of Trustees, to seek anaemia treatment and undergo further checks at the private facility.

As Guru Nanak opened its doors, all Otieno hoped for was to walk out in the evening with a permanent solution to the sickness.

He had cast all his hope on the famed hospital to help him beat anaemia and rejoin his teammates, having been on and off the pitch in October and the preceding weeks.

Otieno recalls a league match against Nairobi City Stars, at the Police Sacco Grounds, as his last involvement in competitive football before the disease struck.

However, his prayers of walking past the exit doors of Guru Nanak were dashed when the doctor, like a bad dream, corrected the initial diagnosis of anaemia with the grim news of kidney failure.

As if to rub salt into his already injured heart and broken soul, the doctor recommended three weeks of admission for further checks and introduction to dialysis.

Otieno's world came crashing down within a split second. Everything in the world was moving, but Otieno, who for a moment, remained rooted in the chair as he tried to process the doctor's findings.

The words of encouragement from doctors at Guru Nanak, and Mandi, did little to console a young man, who had invested sky-high hopes of restoration of health and returning to what he loved most, football.

"I had been experiencing headaches, mild blood pressure, swelling, and throwing up after every meal before October 2023. I visited several hospitals where I was diagnosed with anaemia, and consequently, I began medication.

My situation deteriorated each day despite taking medication religiously. I was referred to Guru Nanak, where kidney failure was detected after thorough tests. I cannot express the shock with which the news from the doctor hit me. It remains the darkest day of my life," recounted Otieno.

For a person, who had never been admitted to a hospital before, especially considering that he walked in by himself, the three weeks recommended by the doctor felt like an eternity.

Although he was still in denial, Otieno did not have a choice, as doctors informed him that the status of his kidneys required the introduction of dialysis a week after his admission.

There was no time for the youngster to fully process the news. All that was required of him was swift action, given the gravity of the doctor’s findings.

After pooling the required resources, through the support of family members and his employer, Kenya Police FC, Otieno began medication, hoping to fully recover and lead a normal life, at the very least.

Staring at the hospital's ceiling for three weeks was tough for a boy who believed he was created to play the game of football. In the end, it offered some relief.

Otieno recounted leaving Guru Nanak Hospital, after three weeks, in stable condition, much to the jubilation of his family and his teammates, who consistently relayed solidarity messages through their WhatsApp status and other social media platforms.

Sharing the dressing room and pitch with the winger, who effortlessly sliced through defenses and was instrumental in creating scoring chances, was all that his teammates wished for.

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However, the relief was short-lived as he developed complications weeks after he was discharged.

With an iota of doubt about the diagnosis still lingering in his mind, Otieno was recommended to the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) for a second opinion and more tests.

It was a déjà vu moment again for the former KCB winger, as he checked into the hospital without company, only to be admitted to the Thika Road-based facility for two weeks, during which his condition deteriorated.

As a result, he was placed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for two days, underwent a minor surgery, and, at one point, had to be resuscitated.

Doctors at KUTRRH would later harvest samples from Otieno and ship them to South Africa for further analysis and eliminate possible doubts over their initial findings.

A specialist, only identified as Doctor Njogu by the family, would shatter Otieno's already broken heart by informing him that, considering his young age and after a careful examination of the samples, a transplant was necessary to guarantee his full recovery.

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This meant that his dwindling hopes of making a comeback to the pitch was crushed completely, and the little that had remained in his savings account would be wiped clean, along with other significant changes in his life and those of his loved ones.

"I sought a second opinion at KUTRRH and other facilities in line with recommendations from doctors and friends in the field of medicine. All along, I wanted to beat the disease and return to my normal life and football.

However, the worst was confirmed after a specialist confirmed that a transplant was indeed the only way to help me out. Words cannot distinctly explain how difficult it was to process the doctor's discovery," narrated Otieno.

For a moment, Otieno felt like the world had turned its back on him, leaving him suffocated between a rock and a hard place.

Nothing made sense to him at all, considering that he was in good health, toying around with opponents on the pitch for fun, financially stable, and living a stress-free life, all of which he had up to three months before the discovery of the medical condition.

It is at this point that Otieno needed a strong pillar for support and to offer a comfortable shoulder to lean on.

MOTHER'S LOVE SAVES DAY

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In February 2024, Otieno and members of his extended family converged in Syokimau, in Machakos County, to deliberate on his illness and choose amongst themselves, who would take the risk and donate his or her kidney.

It was a moment to put the true love the family proclaimed for their renowned son, when he was healthy, to the test, as there existed no better time to demonstrate it than when Otieno desperately needed it.

When the agenda of picking the kidney donor was brought up, without second thoughts, Christine Odila, mother to Otieno, cheerfully volunteered to come to the aid of her ailing son.

Although there was willingness from other family members to donate, the unbreakable bond between mother and son prevailed.

Otieno’s brother and sister had offered to lend a helping hand, but tests conducted at the hospital disqualified them on age and medical grounds, respectively.

"After coming to terms with the diagnosis of kidney failure, I began the process of looking for a donor. The first port of call was within my family, and my mum agreed to come to my rescue immediately.

I appreciate other family members, who were willing to help out," said Otieno, who remains eternally grateful to his teammates, especially Musa Mohammed and Abud Omar, for their support and kindness.

The invaluable gesture by his mother did not catch Otieno by surprise as he extolled how caring she had been and the sacrifices she made to raise him and six more siblings.

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He reserved special praise for the wise counsel, words of encouragement, and the immeasurable motherly love he had enjoyed from her since childhood.

"Deep down, I knew she would sacrifice for me. She, alongside our late father, brought us up with nothing but love, care, and everything else a mother should give her children.

Her gesture to donate her kidney to me gave me hope to confront life again," added Otieno, who broke into the FKF Premier League in August 2019 after KCB signed him straight from St. Mary's High School, Yala.

I DID IT OUT OF LOVE FOR SON

It did not come as a surprise when Otieno’s mother, Christine Odila, singled out love for her son as the reason behind the priceless gesture.

She expressed willingness to sail in uncharted waters, go the extra mile, and put everything on the line for the well-being of his son and his siblings before and after the transplant.

“There is no sacrifice a mother wouldn’t make for her child. I accepted to offer my kidney out of the love I have for him. Luckily, everything matched after the tests.

Nothing pains me more than seeing him suffer. I am always ready to do anything that will go a long way towards his health and well-being,” Odila told Mozzart Sport.

Otieno's mother opened up on how difficult it was to come to terms with her son's kidney diagnosis and how troubling it was to see him lying in the ICU bed, facing a near brush with death after convulsing several times.

“At first, I was in denial as he depicted no signs of ill health since his birth. His lifestyle and habits are not questionable at all, nor do we have a family history of kidney failure.

It was very difficult to accept the diagnosis. The experience both at Guru Nanak and KUTRRH is one I can never wish my worst enemy on.

Watching my son swell to the point of being unable to open his eyes, being in excruciating pain, needing resuscitation, and being in the ICU was heartbreaking. I am, however, grateful to our family and friends for the support, encouragement, and everything they have done for us,” she said.

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The family settled on the transplant to be conducted by doctors at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), but one challenge continues to delay the life-saving medical procedure.

2 MILLION SHILLINGS DELAYING TRANSPLANT

Otieno, and his family, had desired to have the operation conducted as quickly as possible to get back to normal lives, but that has not happened yet, due to the massive quotation by KNH, and the lengthy, strict medical processes, which entail organ transplants.

After subjecting the donor and recipient to the mandatory compatibility tests, among others, KNH told the family the procedure would cost Ksh1.5 million.

The two are supposed to undergo four more tests before being wheeled to the theatre. Each test costs between Ksh100,000 and Ksh200,000.

Half a million shillings will cater for the delicate post-operation care and other miscellaneous costs.

According to Dr. Dan Macharia of Ultismile Medical and Dental Centre, Pangani, a lot is considered before the donor and recipient have a date with the surgeon.

Medically, the donor should be a physically and mentally healthy adult between the ages of 18 to 65 years.

The donor's blood should match in type and rhesus factor.

He/she can be ruled out of the development of any kind of kidney disease.

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They should be considered at low risk of any chronic conditions like: diabetes, hypertension, cancers, HIV, alcohol and drug use disorder, among others.

A written consent, living donor regulations, organ allocation system, and any other relevant legal procedures are strictly adhered to before the two are wheeled to the surgeon's table for a procedure, which Macharia says, typically lasts for around 3-4 hours.

The renal services received at KUTRRH, KNH, and other facilities Otieno has been frequenting for consultation and medication have already depleted Otieno's savings and those of his family.

Confirmation of payment messages seen by Mozzart Sport revealed that a single dialysis session at KUTRRH costs Ksh10,650.

Otieno revealed that he makes at least eight visits to the facility in a month, which translates to Ksh85,200.

The never-ending trips to the hospitals for regular check-ups, medication, and counseling have further eaten into his pool of resources.

Additionally, the strain in his pockets forced him to adjust his life significantly, moving out of his apartment and relocating to Syokimau to live under the care of his aunt, Prophetess Rose Odila.

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Initially, the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) was occasionally coming to his rescue, but he is in the dark about whether its transition to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) will benefit him when he, and his mother, go under the knife.

He says he is still waiting for a response from the authority regarding the amount they will offer for the procedure.

Otieno, who sadly lost his job at Police FC in June, is appealing to the football fraternity and other well-wishers to help him raise the required amount for the life-saving medical procedure.

His contract, which was to last up to the end of 2026 was terminated in June last year.

He says before the contract was ripped apart, Police were paying half a month's salary for six months.

Club chairman Munga Nyale described Otieno as a good player and pledged to chip in financially.

"He was a good player and served us well. We have always done our best to assist our players and members of the public. we are exploring ways of handling Reagan's case," said the club boss without going into the alleged and unfair termination of Otieno's contract.

Coach Godfrey Oduor echoed Nyale's assessment of Otieno's football abilities, terming him as one of the best dribblers he had seen in the Kenyan top tier.

Oduor, worked with Otieno, at KCB FC between 2019-2022, where he served as an assistant coach to Zedekiah 'Zico' Otieno.

"We signed Reagan at KCB purely because of his talent and hard work. He remains one of the best dribblers the Kenyan league has seen in recent years. He is good in one-versus-one situations and opens up defences with ease. It is unfortunate that sickness derailed his football career. My prayer to the Kenyan football fraternity is to join hands and ensure he gets the kidney. He is a good boy, who deserves nothing but a good life," remarked the former Harambee Starlets head coach, who currently works as an assistant coach at South Sudanese club, Jamus FC.

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The family has set up a Paybill number- 522533, Account number 7956792 for collections.

FAMILY APPEAL

The financial burden of treating Otieno can only be well explained by Odila, who has exhausted up to the last coin to fulfill her parental obligation to his son.

She revealed that the family has spent millions of shillings in the past 15 months to manage Otieno’s condition.

Odila says the family is open to receiving financial assistance to defray the accrued debts and prepare for the transplant.

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“It is very expensive to manage my son’s illness. The hospital bill at Guru Nanak was around Ksh600,000. The family paid Ksh200,000 with Kenya Police catering for the rest.

His treatment at KUTRRH cost more than that. We have done several compatibility tests with a single one going for around Ksh200,000, ICU booking, transport, special diet, consultation fees, and medication are extremely costly as well. I appreciate the rest of the family and friends for helping me out,” she said.

Her struggle with her ailing son has also come with extra costs, as she says some friends have deserted her and left her emotionally drained.

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It is the kind of life, she says, has deprived her of dignity and happiness, but she remains determined to fight on until his son gets back on his feet.

“I have debts all over and am tired of begging. It is hard to call friends and family anymore. A lot of money is required for the remaining four tests and the transplant.

I am in the pits emotionally, but I have to be strong for my son. I appeal to well-wishers to come to my aid,” she appealed.

A KIDNEY ENOUGH FOR SPORTSMEN

In what could offer light at the end of the tunnel for Otieno, Macharia says it is possible for sportsmen, who have undergone kidney transplants, to return to action.

Macharia said, that, much as kidney failure can not be reversed medically, one can lead a normal life after either donating or receiving.

Further, sportsmen who engage at the competitive level can remain active even after donating or receiving.

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"It is possible for athletes to engage in sports at the competitive level, after a transplant. One can also have a normal life after the transplant, but with many precautions, especially in lifestyle," he added.