Raising Children with Health Challenges: Susan’s Story

Susan Mukoyi, a mother of four from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has shared the emotional and challenging journey of raising children with significant health conditions. She describes how some people in her community suggested that she might have been "cursed," believing her children’s health challenges, including epilepsy and heart defects, were the result of dark magic. In fact, some even warned their children not to play with hers out of fear of potential contagion.

Despite these hurtful experiences, Susan, a secondary school teacher in Dar es Salaam, has continued to raise her children with unwavering dedication. She identifies herself as a unique "hero" for her determination to care for three of her children who each face different medical challenges: one with a heart condition, another with epilepsy, and the third, who sadly passed away shortly after birth, born with a large head and spina bifida.

Medical professionals explained that some of these health issues could have been avoided had Susan taken certain critical medications during her pregnancy. However, Susan remains steadfast in her commitment to her children’s care.

Susan recounts that her first childbirth went smoothly, but her second child’s birth presented significant health complications that eventually led to the child’s passing a few months later. In 2021, Susan gave birth to her fourth child, who was born with a heart condition. After showing signs of a respiratory infection, medical tests revealed that he had a hole in his heart.

The challenges grew so overwhelming that Susan and her family, previously living in Arusha, decided to move to Dar es Salaam in order to be closer to hospitals providing treatment for her children.

Throughout these hardships, Susan credits her husband and colleagues for offering invaluable emotional support. She recalls how her husband and fellow teachers stood by her, especially during the long periods when her children were in and out of the hospital.

“I’ve spent time in the hospital with my children on different occasions when they were critically ill, and my colleagues offered me not only psychological support but also practical help, such as sharing urgent information when necessary,” she said.

She remembers one particular moment when her son, experiencing a seizure, asked why his classmates never offered help. His heartbreaking response was that no one wanted to approach him, leaving him isolated during his struggles.

Susan continues to navigate her family’s health battles with strength and resilience, drawing from the support of her close-knit community and her own unshakable commitment to her children’s well-being.