The room was dark and cold, I switched on the lights and held my 10 month old baby in my hands. I didn’t know what to do because this was the 5th day and he was getting worse and worse. In frustration I put him down on the bed, my husband was awake by now and he took him. I put my head in my hands and started crying, God what do we do now, we’ve been to the hospital twice now in 5 days but this boy is not improving.
At this time I heard my husband on phone with his mum, this was at around 1:00AM in the night. I heard him mention Kenyatta Hospital (KNH). This was the national public hospital in Nairobi. I had never been there ever for treatment, you know all the drama that goes on in most African public hospitals….I never wanted to experience it and so like every wannabe middle class African, I kept away from it as much as possible because I had a job that was giving me medical insurance.
When we went to the doctor that my mother inlaw had directed us to at KNH, the First thing she asked me when she saw the baby was “where do you live? and what do you have in your house?” I told her kawangware and just normal household items. She was an elderly lady like in her 50s. She examined the baby and told me if I had delayed and stayed at home with this boy another day, he would be no more. It happened that he had pneumonia and the medication I was given in the previous uptown private hospital was for treating a different infection .
A few months later we managed to be referred to a very good elderly pediatrician who really helped us. The first thing he asked me again when he met my son and examined him was “mama where do you live?, What do you have in your house?” It was interesting noting that the other elderly doctor in the public hospital had asked me the same question. He actually made me draw for him a plan of how my house looked like with the items I had in it plus the room ventilation and lighting plan. My baby boy apparently had developed accute bronchitis triggered by allergy to dust, cold, perfumed detergents and toiletries (according to my layman’s understanding).
When I followed all my doctor’s instructions, I got rid of the carpet, stopped using any perfumed detergents, bathing soap and air fresheners, my son’s condition really improved. I had to also change my seats, ensured we cleaned and dusted the house like daily. We also had to make sure he slept in a room that received most of natural light and ventilation during the day.
You see the doctor was interested in the area I lived because it was characterized by many high flats built close to each other, so houses on the lower floors and ground floors were compromised on natural lighting and had poor ventilation. We were living on the ground floor and my bedroom was actually on the leeward side so it had poor lighting and ventilation and no wonder my son’s constant sickly nature since he was 3months old.
Your space affects your total wellness. I didn’t know this then, I actually used to think just any house would do. You only needed the basic rooms and amenities, you know, toilet, kitchen, bedrooms and security. I didn’t know the position of your house to the air and lighting affected our physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. If your house is not well lit or has dull colours inside, your mind tends to think it’s constrained and thus your mood will be irritable, stressed or even depressed.
After this ordeal with my son I started being more keen with my spaces. I just don’t buy household stuff just like that. I am more intentional in where I live, natural lighting is very very important, the colours and texture in my space must be right for my total wellness. I didn’t know by then that the many months running around hospitals with my sick son affected me into depression (this is a story for another day☺) I actually also became sick because we lived in that house for 7years.
I passionately talk about being in charge of your space, your physical, spiritual, emotional, mental, social and environmental space. This space can be
1. Your house
2. Your personal life and business
3. Your spiritual world
4. Your family
5. Your social circles
6. Your social media platforms
7. And even your job position etc
You need to be aware of who and what are in this spaces and be intentional in allowing them to affect and control you.
They say “what you don’t know doesn’t affect you” but I say “what you don’t know can actually kill you.” Ignorance is very expensive. Awareness brings in light that helps you know what to do to live better in this life.
I run different wellness programs to help millennial women become aware and take charge of their spaces and choose better.
Thank you