New lease of life for Kenyan wonder

Seraphine Moipei is one of the most loved singers in Kenya. The 14-year-old is part of the Moipei quartet, a classical music group, comprising herself and her triplet sisters. A gifted child, Seraphine’s singing attracted many fans in her own country and across the world. The group was even made an ambassador for child rights by Unicef.

Unfortunately, Seraphine experienced health complications a couple of years ago, leading to loss of memory. “She could not even walk straight sometimes. She would go the bathroom and after applying shampoo, she would come out without washing it. Most of the time, she would be lost,” said Christine Moipei, mother of Serpahine.

“Not wanting to take any chances, we took her for a detailed check-up. Tests revealed that she was having a tumour. The doctors at home were not well equipped to understand this,” said Christine. They referred her for treatment in India, and after a month’s treatment, she underwent surgery at the Healthcare Global in Bangalore, in March this year.

“What hurt most of us was that she could not sing anymore. Because of health complications, she was unable to go reach the high notes,” said her mother.

“I knew I could do it, but I was not able to. It was painful,” Seraphine said.

“It was a rare case. She had a tumour in the pineal gland. The tumour was about three cm big.,” said Dr PS Shridar, radiation oncologist.

Her problems were so complicated that a new medical technology, Cyberknife was used to operate upon her. “The Cyberknife is a robotic radio-surgery system where we target a particular point in the tumour, and use concentrated, strong radiation to remove it. This process takes only a few days. Now, after the treatment, she is perfectly alright,” said Dr PS Shridar.

“I cannot tell how I felt when I sang again after my operation. Now, it’s a new start and I will be singing all the way,” Seraphine said. Even as she goes back to Kenya, her house is flooded with fans and well-wishers who want to celebrate the coming of the singing sensation.