On the morning of Sunday 30th October 2011, 29-year-old Pennina underwent open heart surgery at Guru Nanak Ramgharia Sikh Hospital. 29-yr old Pennina Wekesa suffered many years living with rheumatic heart valve disease (RHVD). The disease followed a simple sore throat infection as a child which went untreated with antibiotics.
With repeated infections the heart valve was gradually destroyed leading to heart failure. With only a matter of months to live, short of breath and unable to even sleep at night, Pennina was not able to raise any money for her surgery. Her case was fully subsidised by PANAHF and undertaken at GNRSH. The surgery attracted significant media attention from national TV and radio.
CITIZEN TV CLIP- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Refy1___hsI
Pennina and the PANAHF team were also visited by His Excellency the Vice President of Kenya, Kilonzo Musyoka during her recovery. Her case received media attention given that this was the first case of open heart surgery at GNRSH.