Here is the story of a woman who made the Fistula journey — in her own words.

I got married three years ago. I got pregnant one year ago. When I was six months pregnant, I left my husband’s house and went to my mother’s house so that I could have my baby at home with my mother. When I started my labor, my mother and my sisters were there with me.

I was in labor for three days and it was very difficult. My stomach was hurting me so much. After the third day, my mother took me to Arba Minch Hospital where the doctor took out the dead baby. They took me back to my mother’s house and I was very sick. I didn’t walk for 10 days. My husband was not there with me during my sickness so three months after the baby died, I left him.

The doctor at Arba Minch gave me a referral paper and told me to go to Addis Ababa. I took a bus all day to come here. I was very sick and so they gave me medicine for three months before I could have my operation. I was scared of the operation at the beginning, but when I knew that there was no pain, it was okay. After the operation, I stayed in bed for a long time to recover.

If it is possible, I want to get married again and have a baby. I will go back to my mother’s house and I will work in my village. I look forward to going home and seeing my friends again without this sickness.

To read previous stories from the One Woman's Story series, visit the Profile Archives page.