In Connie’s words
A journey, in four chapters
Chapter One
The unexpected news
Ben had always been a picture of good health. Before the COVID-19 pandemic he rarely missed his gym workout or a morning walk, and after the gyms closed he walked thirteen (13) km at least four (4) times a week. But from March 2022 something felt off — he was always tired and his appetite had shrunk. We assumed the weight loss was simply from his weekly walks.
In August 2022 he developed a constant, irritating cough, occasionally woke with a swollen right foot, and complained of a dull pain in his right side that wouldn't go away. He brushed it off with over-the-counter cough syrups until I insisted he see a doctor. A COVID-19 test came back positive, and he was isolated for fourteen (14) days — but when the cough reappeared two weeks later, we knew COVID wasn't the real cause.
We went back to hospital, and the doctor recommended a full medical check-up, including a CT scan of the lungs to check for tuberculosis. The scan happened to capture a section of his liver — and that's where the doctor saw a mass. An MRI confirmed it, and Ben was admitted immediately for a biopsy.
“You have hepatocellular carcinoma — liver cancer.”
I squeezed Ben's hand, totally confused and in utter shock. Ben sat frozen. Cancer? How? We just could not believe that a disease we never thought would touch us was suddenly ours to face. After what felt like hours but was barely a minute, I said to him the only words I had: “We will overcome this.”
Chapter Two
The battle begins
The next few weeks felt like a blur of doctor visits, discussions about treatment options, and the looming question of how much time he had. After a battery of tests and a whirlwind of consultations, Ben's oncologist recommended a targeted chemotherapy plan — with no guarantees, and like any invasive treatment, its own risks. The night before it began, Ben lay in bed staring at the ceiling, wondering if he would wake to see another day. “I'm not ready to go,” he whispered into the darkness. Yet he still found the strength to rise for his first chemotherapy session — the thought of his loved ones kept him fighting. In all, Ben underwent eight (8) chemotherapy sessions.
Chapter Three
Treatment highs & lows
Just when we thought Ben was improving, after his seventh session he became very weak and the tests showed no improvement over his sixth. His oncologist advised one more cycle before drawing a conclusion. Unfortunately, after the eighth session Ben was extremely weak, and follow-up scans revealed small tumours in another section of his liver. It was a major setback that led the oncologist to terminate the chemotherapy — but his doctors had another plan: immunotherapy.
The treatments drained him. Some days he could barely get out of bed. The nausea, fatigue and weight loss made him feel like a shell of himself. But I was always there, holding his hand, encouraging him, reminding him of our plans and dreams for once he got better.
There were good days too — days when he could sit outside and feel the warmth of the sun, chat and laugh with family and friends who constantly visited and encouraged him. Those moments kept him grounded.
Chapter Four
A new perspective
After months of treatment, Ben drastically deteriorated at the beginning of April 2023 as the treatment took its toll and the pain became unbearable. On the night of 27th April 2023 he developed an extremely high fever combined with hallucinations. I called the ambulance and we took him to hospital, certain we'd be home again as always. This time, it was different.
“I used to think life was about big moments. I've learnt it's about the small ones — a hug, a sunrise, a good cup of coffee. I don't want to waste any more time.”
Liver cancer changed both Ben's life and mine. It rewrote his story, but it never took away his will to fight. As Ben continued his journey, he embraced each day with gratitude, knowing that every sunrise was a gift.
I give gratitude and glory to God for Ben's life. I thank St. Austin's Parish, our families, friends, colleagues, doctors, homecare & hospital nurses, the entire hospital staff and AMREF for the support they accorded us when we needed it most.
In memory of Ben, the Ben Kijuu Foundation was launched during the celebration of his first memorial on 16th May 2024, and was officially registered on 13th January 2025. The Foundation exists to give moral, emotional, psychological, financial and logistical support to patients and their loved ones who have been diagnosed with, or have survived, liver cancer.
Ben, you remain the shining star — always and forever in my heart.
To everyone who was, has been and remains a part of this journey — thank you very much!
— Connie
