For five long years, Florence Maina Mugwe, a 38-year-old mother of three from Kitale, lived in a state of growing fear and agony. What began as unexplained symptoms—blurred vision, hearing loss, and difficulty swallowing—gradually evolved into a debilitating condition that left her nearly blind, deaf in one ear, unable to speak properly, and eventually confined to a wheelchair.
“I was tortured,” Florence recalls. “I visited so many hospitals in Kitale and Nairobi. No one could tell me what was wrong. They gave me medicine, ran tests, but I only got worse.” Even during her pregnancy, Florence continued to deteriorate. After giving birth, she reached a critical point. Then came a salon visit that changed everything.
“I had gone to apply chemicals to my hair, and the pain I felt was like fire in my head. I was rushed to hospital, but again, they could not find a cure. Finally, someone referred me to Tophill Hospital. That’s where I met Dr. Florentius Koech—and that’s when my journey toward healing began.”
A Life-Changing Diagnosis
At Tophill Hospital, Florence underwent thorough testing, including an MRI and CT scan, which revealed a large, complex, and aggressive brain tumour. The tumour was pressing on several cranial nerves and had spread into sensitive regions of her brain, ear, and neck.
She met a multidisciplinary medical team that included a group of neurosurgeons led by Dr. Florentius Koech, gastrointestinal surgeon Dr. Oloo, ENT specialist Dr. Majaya Denge, and interventional radiologist Dr. Kipchirchir.
Dr. Florentius Koech, one of Kenya’s most respected neurosurgeons and CEO of Tophill Hospital, remembers the moment vividly. “It was one of the most difficult cases I’ve ever seen in my career. Florence had lost so much—her vision, her ability to hear properly, to swallow, to walk. She was very weak, weighing less than 30 kilograms, and hadn’t eaten solid food in almost five months.”
Most hospitals had given up on her, advising the family to return home and “prepare for the worst.” But Dr. Koech saw hope where others didn’t.
A Plan to Save Her Life
The first step was to stabilize Florence’s health. “We inserted a feeding tube into her stomach so she could receive nutrients and gain weight,” Dr. Koech explained. Over the next four months, Florence’s condition slowly improved, and she gained over 25 kilograms.
Then came the next critical phase: embolization. Because the tumour was extremely vascular—with blood vessels feeding it from multiple directions—direct surgery was too risky. Embolization involves cutting off the tumour’s blood supply to reduce bleeding during surgery. Forty-eight hours after the procedure, Florence was taken to the operating theatre for what would become a grueling 16-hour surgery.
“It was incredibly complex,” Dr. Koech said. “Even with embolization, the bleeding was massive. The tumour was entangled with vital nerves and vessels. But we were determined.”
Against all odds, the medical team was able to remove the tumour in its entirety.
A New Beginning
The results were nothing short of miraculous. In the weeks following the surgery, Florence gradually regained her sight, hearing, and ability to swallow. She started walking again, doing household chores, and caring for her children—things that had once seemed impossible.
“I am alive today because of God and Dr. Koech,” she said with tears in her eyes. “I can now cook, clean, wash utensils, and walk without help. Before, I was just sitting in a wheelchair, helpless. Now, I feel like a mother again.”
Her brother, Mike Mumo, reflected on the family’s journey: “We took her to so many hospitals. We tried everything. We lost hope. But Dr. Koech restored our faith. He gave us back our sister, and we’ll never forget that.”
A Doctor’s Mission
Despite the complexity and cost of the procedure, Dr. Koech’s commitment was unwavering. “When Florence first came, she had no money. But I told her, come—let me treat you. We’ll figure out the rest later. My mission has always been to help, not to make money. What matters most is seeing patients like Florence walk out of here alive.”
Now back home in Kitale, Florence is taking one day at a time, slowly rebuilding her strength and confidence. Though she still experiences slight facial weakness and occasional difficulty swallowing, her recovery has surpassed even the doctors’ expectations.
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