Resly A., 17

Resly is the second-born child in a family of five siblings, all of whom are alive and attending school. She is a Form Four student and benefits from bursary support for her education. Her father is deceased, while her mother left home in 2015 in search of employment in Nairobi and has not been in contact with the family since then. Resly and her siblings are cared for by their elderly paternal grandmother, who supports the family through small-scale farming. They live in a modest two-roomed house with mud walls and a mud floor. Despite these challenges, Resly remains focused on her future and hopes to become a teacher. After missing her menstrual periods and experiencing vomiting, fatigue, and general body weakness, she was found to be pregnant at approximately three months' gestation. She later enrolled in antenatal care and attended her clinic visits regularly. On 29th May, she developed severe abdominal and lower back pain and was referred to Siaya County Referral Hospital, where an emergency Caesarean section was performed due to arrest of descent of the foetus and fetal distress. Three days after the caesarean section, Resly developed vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, and mild headaches, although she had no fever. Her symptoms persisted and gradually worsened. The abdominal pain became increasingly severe and localized to the right lower side of the abdomen, raising suspicion of acute appendicitis. Further evaluation led to a second surgical procedure, during which an inflamed appendix was confirmed intra-operatively. An appendicectomy was successfully performed, and she was subsequently managed with appropriate postoperative care and monitoring.

Resly experienced a complicated pregnancy and delivery, requiring an emergency Caesarean section due to fetal distress and arrest of descent. Shortly after delivery, she developed worsening abdominal pain, vomiting, dizziness, and symptoms that were later found to be due to acute appendicitis, requiring a second surgical procedure (appendicectomy). Fortunately, both conditions were recognized and treated promptly. Following surgery and appropriate postoperative care, her prognosis is good. She is expected to make a full recovery provided she adheres to medical advice, attends follow-up reviews, maintains adequate nutrition, and monitors for any postoperative complications. Delayed treatment could have resulted in serious risks to both mother and baby, as well as complications from a ruptured appendix.