“After 12 Years of Pain, Emily Walks Again”: How Top Hill Hospital and Dr. Florentius Koech Restored Hope to a Family in Despair

 

For more than a decade, Emily, a quiet, hardworking woman from Eldama Ravine, lived with pain that refused to go away. What began as mild numbness in her right hand and leg in 2013 slowly developed into an all-consuming agony that spread through her entire body — from the neck, across the chest, and down her back.

“I remember the first day I felt it,” she says, her voice soft but steady. “I had been working in Kisumu while studying for my master’s degree. Suddenly, my right arm felt numb, and later my leg stiffened. I thought it was fatigue, maybe stress from work. But days turned into weeks, and the pain never stopped.”

Each week, Emily would visit hospitals seeking answers. Every doctor she met seemed to have a different explanation. Some said it was nerve pain, others said it was psychological. The most common prescription was painkillers — a temporary fix that did little to touch the deep, burning ache that had begun to define her life.

“I started going to the hospital every Monday,” she recalls. “I was in pain every single day, but all I got were painkillers. It went on for almost a year. I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat properly, and even sitting became a struggle.”

A Life Interrupted

By 2014, Emily’s condition had worsened to the point that she had to transfer from Kisumu to Kabarnet, closer to home in Baringo. The move brought her nearer to family, but not to relief. “I was getting weaker,” she says. “My headaches were constant. My body would feel heavy, like I was carrying stones.”

It was also during this time that emotional exhaustion set in. “I began to feel hopeless. The doctors couldn’t tell me what was wrong, and I started to think maybe it was all in my head,” she says. “I used to cry quietly at night.”

But in the midst of despair, Emily found a new source of strength. “I told myself maybe I needed something that would give me purpose again,” she says with a faint smile. “That’s when I decided I wanted to have a baby.”

 

 

 

 

Pregnancy and New Pain

In 2015, Emily became pregnant — a decision she hoped would bring healing and joy. Instead, it brought even more suffering.

“During pregnancy, I could barely move. My legs hurt, my back ached constantly, and I was always dizzy,” she recalls. “By the last months, I couldn’t even sit up on my own. I spent most of the time lying flat on my bed.”

When she finally delivered in 2016, she was overwhelmed with exhaustion. “It was the most difficult moment of my life,” she says. “The delivery triggered something — the pain became worse, and emotionally, I broke down.”

After giving birth, Emily began to experience severe depression. She could not care for her baby, and the smallest tasks felt impossible. Doctors diagnosed her with bipolar disorder and put her on medication. But while the drugs dulled her emotions, they did nothing for her physical pain.

“I was told it was all psychological,” she says. “That the pain was coming from my mind. So, I believed them. But deep down, I knew something was wrong in my body.”

 

A Husband’s Struggle

Emily’s husband, Kevin , watched helplessly as his wife’s condition deteriorated. “My wife was a strong woman — full of life,” he says. “But slowly, she changed. She became quiet, withdrawn, and at times very emotional. She was always in pain.”

Kevin tried everything he could — taking her to different hospitals, visiting specialists, and praying. “We spent a lot of money,” he recalls. “At one point, we thought maybe she had been bewitched. We were desperate. She would cry every night from the pain. It broke my heart.”

Despite the emotional and financial strain, Kevin refused to give up on his wife. “I believed there had to be an answer,” he says. “I knew God would not let her suffer forever.”

 

The Turning Point: Top Hill Hospital

In 2018, Emily remembered Dr. Florentius Koech, a renowned neurosurgeon and spinal specialist who had successfully treated her mother years earlier. Her mother had undergone a spine-related procedure at Top Hill Hospital, located in Eldoret, and made a full recovery.

Encouraged by that memory, Emily decided to seek help there. “I told my sister-in-law that I wanted to see Dr. Koech,” she says. “We travelled quietly to Eldoret because I didn’t want anyone to think I was just chasing doctors again.”

When she arrived, Emily could hardly stand. “I was very sick,” she says. “Even breathing was painful. My sister-in-law had to support me as we entered the hospital.”

Dr. Florentius Koech, CEO and Lead Surgeon at Top Hill Hospital, remembers the case clearly.

“Emily had suffered for many years with pain that could not be clearly explained,” Dr. Koech says. “She complained of pain from the neck through the chest and into the back. She had seen many doctors who told her the problem was psychological, so she was treated with antidepressants and sedatives. But the pain never went away — in fact, it worsened.”

 

Listening, Testing, and Finding the Cause

Dr. Koech began Emily’s treatment conservatively. “We started with lifestyle management,” he explains. “I taught her how to sit correctly, how to drive safely, and how to avoid straining her spine. But after some time, the pain persisted, which told me there was something deeper.”

He ordered a detailed MRI scan, and the results revealed the truth that had been missed for years.

“The MRI showed that Emily’s spine had a significant bend — a case of advanced scoliosis,” Dr. Koech explains. “The curvature of the spine was compressing nerves and affecting her breathing and movement. It was a complex spinal deformity that had gone undiagnosed for nearly a decade.”

For Emily, hearing the diagnosis was both shocking and relieving. “For the first time, someone could explain my pain,” she says. “I cried — not because I was scared, but because I finally understood what was happening to me.”

 

The Surgery That Changed Everything

After thorough preparation and counseling, Dr. Koech recommended corrective spinal surgery to realign the curved section and relieve pressure on the affected nerves.

“We decided to proceed with surgery,” Dr. Koech says. “It was not an easy operation, but it was necessary. We corrected the spinal curve and stabilized the affected segments. After the procedure, Emily began to recover almost immediately.”

The results were extraordinary. Within weeks, Emily began to regain her strength. “The pain that had followed me for twelve years was suddenly gone,” she says with tears in her eyes. “I could sit, I could walk, I could breathe without feeling pressure. It felt like being born again.”

Kevin was overjoyed. “When I saw her walking again, sitting comfortably, and even laughing, I couldn’t stop crying,” he says. “For years, I thought I was losing her. But now, it was like God had given her back to us.”

 

Back to Normal Life

Today, Emily’s transformation is remarkable. She has resumed her daily activities, including work, driving, and taking care of her family. “I can sit for hours without pain,” she says. “I can drive long distances. I even go to the farm sometimes. Things I never thought I would do again.”

Dr. Koech says her recovery has been inspiring even to the hospital team.

“She is living proof that with the right diagnosis and care, patients can recover even after years of suffering,” he says. “Emily’s case teaches us that not all pain is psychological. Sometimes, it takes time and proper investigation to find the real cause.”

 

A Husband’s Gratitude

For Kevin, life has returned to peace. “For seven years, our home was full of worry and sadness,” he says. “Now we have laughter again. My wife smiles, plays with our child, and even joins us at church. It’s like a heavy burden has been lifted.”

He credits both faith and medicine for the miracle. “We prayed, yes, but God also uses people — and Dr. Koech was one of them,” Kevin says with emotion. “Top Hill Hospital treated my wife not just as a patient, but as a human being. We are forever grateful.”

 

A Message of Hope

Emily hopes that her story will inspire others who are silently suffering.

“Never give up,” she says. “If doctors tell you it’s in your head, keep searching for answers. Believe that your healing will come. I thank God every day for guiding me to Dr. Koech and Top Hill Hospital.”

Dr. Koech shares the same sentiment.

“Our mission at Top Hill Hospital is to restore hope,” he says. “Every patient deserves to live without pain. When I see patients like Emily return to normal life, that is the greatest reward.”

 

“For twelve years, I suffered,” she says, looking out the window. “But today, I can move freely, I can laugh, and I can dream again. That is the power of God — and the power of good medicine.”

And for Kevin, every moment with his wife is now a gift. “We lost twelve years to pain,” he says. “But now, we have the rest of our lives to live — together, in peace.”