Elizabeth Njoki
The first thing our center staff noticed about Elizabeth was her bright spirit and positive attitude. Despite being sickly and weak following a brief hospital stay, she insisted on attending the launch at Githogoro Village in Nairobi, showing her determination.
"I just had to come. I couldn't imagine missing the first day of the program even though I was in so much pain," Elizabeth shared.
Elizabeth begins the retelling of her story from when she was 18 years old, when she married her first husband, whom she shared 18 joyful years with before his sudden passing in 2006.
“For 18 good years, we loved each other until God took him home in 2006. After his death, I tried inquiring about the causes of his death; all the doctors refused to tell me what happened. So I let it go and accepted my fate.”
Left to mourn and raise their four daughters on her own, Elizabeth began to experience various illnesses, leading her to seek an HIV test. Her response to the positive test was resolute: "I have no control over my results; I will just put myself together and move on with my life."
In 2016, Elizabeth met her now-husband, and she gave birth at age 43 to an HIV-negative son. She took her anti-retroviral medication diligently and stayed in good health until recently when a cervical cancer diagnosis left her crippled with pain. “I honestly don’t want to remember that period in life. I do not like remembering the pain I was in during that time because, to be honest, many nights I begged God to take my life, I was tired of living in struggle and pain.”
Now, Elizabeth attests that Exodus 23:25 sustained her during that time. "Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you.”
After a grueling battle with cancer, Elizabeth enjoyed a short period of remission before she fell ill again. Seeking more medical tests, she was diagnosed with fibroids.
“Let me tell you, my father in heaven knew my challenges; he saw the tears I cried. I met a doctor at the hospital who told me if I was overwhelmed and unable to pay for my medical bills, there was a place I could find help. An organization called Untold.”
At the time of this diagnosis, Untold had just begun recruiting clients in her town. She joined the Untold program, expressing gratitude for the support received during her health challenges. Through the MEF (Medical Endowment Fund), Elizabeth has been able to receive the medical care she needs. Elizabeth insists that she knows God is still working miracles in her life, regardless of the challenges that seemed to pile up in her life. She counts her husband as one of her greatest miracles. He has supported her faithfully and has never let go of her hand. Even as she spoke, he stood right next to her, the silent but tender grip he had on her hand speaking for him.
