Escape from the Jaws of a Lion

My name is Mutel, and I’m 17 years old. Last year, I had a brush with death that changed my life forever. I was out herding our cattle one night when I heard a rustling in the bushes. Before I knew it, a massive lion had pounced on me and dragged me away.

I remember feeling its jaws clamping down on my body, the pain shooting through me as it tried to drag me deeper into the bush. I screamed for help, but nobody came. All I could think of was that this was the end for me.

But somehow, I managed to fight back. I kicked and punched and screamed, trying to free myself from the lion’s grip. I must have hit it in just the right spot because it suddenly let go of me and disappeared into the bush.

I was lying there, bleeding and broken, when my friend found me and called for help in a neighboring shopping center. They rushed me to the nearest health center for first aid. I was in critical condition and needed urgent medical attention and I was transferred to Tenwek Hospital. 

The doctors and nurses at Tenwek Hospital were amazing. They worked tirelessly to stabilize me, patching up my wounds and making sure I was comfortable. But my injuries were severe, and I needed intervention from different specialists.

I remember being whisked away to the Emergency Department, where they quickly assessed my injuries and made sure I was stable enough for surgery. Then I was taken to Neurosurgery, where they operated on my head to remove a blood clot that was putting pressure on my brain. From there, I went to Plastic Surgery, where they worked on my face, trying to repair the damage done by the lion’s teeth and claws.

I also needed help from the Eye and Medical departments. Unfortunately, I lost my right eye in the attack, but the doctors did everything they could to save my left eye. They monitored me carefully, making sure that my body was healing and responding to the treatments.

It was a long road to recovery, but I’m happy to say that I’m doing very well now. This week, I came back to Tenwek Hospital for a review, and the doctors were pleased with my progress. They told me that I had been lucky to survive such a vicious attack and that my recovery had been remarkable.

As I walked out of the hospital, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the amazing care I had received. The doctors and nurses at Tenwek Hospital saved my life, and I would never forget what they had done for me. I knew that I would always carry the scars of that attack, but I also knew that I had escaped from the jaws of a lion, and that was something to be proud of.

This is the story of Mutel, a patient we have had in Tenwek and whose remarkable story of recovery and resilience reminds us that what we do for our patients on a daily basis is not in vain. Mutel is indeed a Miracle at Tenwek.