With the additional costs of medication, the family struggled to raise funds for treatment.

Ng'ang'a underwent chemotherapy for a year between 2015 and 2016.

Martin says the Ng'ang'a demanded the chemotherapy be stopped, said it was making him weak and always tired.

Since Early, 2015, blood transfusion and stem-cell transplants became almost daily procedures.

"National Health Insurance Fund only catered to the bed admission. I remember at one time his bill escalated to Sh127,000 at lancet laboratories and the NHIF could not cover anything. It was a problem for the family to raise that one-day bill, Martin said.

At this stage, my dad was overwhelmed with pain .

We had to create a cordial relationship with a blood donor centre in Eldoret since he started transfusion of blood cells almost every day. White blood cells became too scarce that his immune was too low. Even when he sneezed he would end up having a nose bleed, he said.

Martin said that with the daily hospitalization, the family was now doing everything possible to meet the bills.

Family disagreement

Martin's polygamous family did not make the situation any easier.

Nganga had two wives who had to take responsibility for making sure children from both households contribute towards the hospital bills and other expenses including transportation to hospitals, food and other miscellaneous.

With the polygamous set up, everyone was looking for excuses to contribute the least. We argued more on contribution than anything else, he said.

Ouma advised that the division of duties within the family is the best way to reduce the burden.

"The family can assign finance management to one person as the rest share between living with the patient, transportation and other duties," he said.

He observed that shared roles become more bearable to the family.

Read more from the original source:
The pains of caring for a family member living with cancer - The Star, Kenya