When life threw lemons at Dr Sahondra Kiplagat, she made lemonade out of them. She is a living miracle and an example of resilience and positivity. Even when the doctors told her that she would eventually suffer from permanent paralysis due to multiple sclerosis, she accepted it, doing her best with what she could do in the moment. She was positive that she would walk into her future and was willing to make it happen.

“I was washing my hair in the bathroom one day when I fell backwards. The first thing I did was to check whether I could move. Yes, I could, so at least I was not dead. I didn’t think it was a big deal then, but the pain kept getting worse. We visited a doctor who performed an MRI. The results showed a cyst at the lower part of my spine. According to the doctor, surgery was the only option, but he preferred starting with a conservative approach and not rush things,” she explains.

“Walking, climbing into the shower, cleaning myself, washing my hair, writing and typing among other activities, were accompanied by agonising pain,” Sahondra recalls.

This made it hard for her to tend to the needs of her students, but technology aided her a great deal. Since it was during the COVID-19 pandemic, classes were being conducted online, and therefore she did not have to leave her house while in pain.

“My sister recommended a physiotherapist who treated me using pain management techniques. He gave me a list of things to do and how to do them, like not standing for too long and more,” she says.

In all these tribulations, miracles still managed to locate her. She remembers the feeling of relief and happiness that coursed through her body when the doctor told her that the cyst had cleared. It was as if all the prayers and moments of silent endurance had finally been answered.

“We went to meet up with the doctor and he was smiling and as he said ‘Look, it’s gone!’ I couldn’t believe my eyes. I felt relieved and grateful to God,” she says.

Walking, making coffee, reading, and speaking are daily activities. They are considered basic activities that most people can do. Dr Sahondra Kiplagat held the same view until these ‘basic’ activities became uphill tasks.

“I was on the hospital bed for a very long time. When I got out of bed, I was given a walker and it hit me that I no longer knew how to take a step. That’s when I realised I had lost the memory functions that control certain things like reading and writing,” she recalls the ordeal she went through.

Sahondra, an environmental psychology PhD holder and lecturer at the University of Nairobi, didn’t know that she was suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) at the time. That was way back in 2004. MS is a chronic illness that affects the central nervous system. The brain and the nervous system lack effective communication, which leads to difficulties in walking, speaking, and even writing.

At that time, the medical field had little information about the disease. After moving from one doctor to another, Sahondra found one who diagnosed her condition. It was not good news. She was told that in about 10 years, she would need a walking stick and soon after be confined in a wheelchair.

On the contrary, years have passed and she has never needed any form of walking aid. She, however, had to relearn how to write, speak, walk, and even swim.

“I could write very well at the beginning, but after some time, I lost the ability. I started teaching myself how to write again, and when I got the hang of it, I wrote at every opportunity I got to never forget how special it was,” she recalls.

As life moved on, Sahondra learnt to appreciate even the smallest of things. She made it a routine to write 100 blessings every day and thank God for each one.

Her parents, the late Ambassador Dr Bethuel Kiplagat and Mrs Honorine Kiplagat, brought her up to believe that with God, everything was possible. Life became bearable again, especially because of the love and care her family and loved ones showed her.

Life comes with surprises. Just when Sahondra had come to terms with her new life and was managing well, a new wave of agony hit her.

Sahondra’s Thanksgiving story is proof that no matter how tall the mountain is, it cannot block the sun. No matter how much pain she went through, she still wore a positive aura knowing that the trials of today will soon be the victories of tomorrow.

Mrs Kiplagat, who accompanied Sahondra to this interview, says this of her daughter: “She is a God-fearing strong woman who has never let her challenges put her down. She carries a positive attitude with her, no matter what she is facing. Her attitude was very helpful during the difficult periods as it gave us hope. I love you so much, Sahondra,” she says, looking her daughter in the eye.

Sahondra adds that her mum is her rock, pillar, and the hero she looks up to. “Thank you so much, Mum. For being my Mum, my friend, and for sacrificing so much for me. I love you so much,” she tells her.

To those who are going through a hard time, Sahondra gives a piece of advice: “Hold on to what is here now and that which is good. Appreciate the fact that you can feel and breathe. Some people cannot.”

This issue was originally published in issue 443. Click HERE to read more on the issue.

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