Nancy Njeri had never thought of becoming a health worker. Her father, who was an agricultural officer in their hometown in Laikipia, passed away when she was three. But this did not mean he was absent from her life. Her mother and her relatives kept his memory alive by telling Nancy stories about what an amazing man he was. Through these stories, her father became such a legend in her eyes that she wanted to become just like him when she grew up.

In 1993, Nancy sat her KCSE exam at Muhotetu Girls’ Secondary School. Her resolve to become an agricultural officer was unwavering, and she had applied to the University of East Africa, Baraton for a BSc in Agriculture. Instead, Baraton enrolled her for a degree in education, a choice that was completely unacceptable to Nancy. Her aspiration had been brought to a grinding halt and she was unsure of how to change gears. Her uncle, who was a father figure to her, shared in her frustration but believed that Nancy was a bright girl who could pursue any career she wished. Since she was adamant about becoming a teacher, he suggested that she give nursing a try. Grudgingly, Nancy agreed, and in 1996 she joined Nyeri Provincial Hospital General Training College.

Even though it was not the career she had desired, Nancy began enjoying her coursework in nursing. In class, she learnt about the human anatomy, classification, and administration medicines, and most importantly, caring for patients as they recuperated. Ward rounds were the most difficult of her classes since they were so labor-intensive. Despite this, Nancy enjoyed spending time with the patients, and so she began to draw her strength from those she was treating.

Three years later, Nancy graduated from college and was applying to various hospitals for her internship. After her experience at the wards in Nyeri, she had made up her mind to become a public health nurse rather than a hospital nurse. Public health nursing would give her the opportunity to visit different places and help people improve their health to prevent disease while being a hospital nurse meant that she would have to work in the wards she dreaded, giving care to those visiting the facility. But there were no postings for public health nurses at the time. By this time, Nancy had learnt to trust the outcome of things even when they went contrary to her plans. So in 2000, when she got posted to Kenyatta National Hospital as a staff nurse, Nancy decided to go with the flow.

Before working in the renal ward at KNH, nurses are required to have undergone specialized training offered exclusively by the hospital. At the time of Nancy’s posting, this particular ward was understaffed, and Nancy was required to become an extra set of hands until trained nurses were employed. What started out as something temporary became the core of her work. When she was on duty, Nancy would prepare patients for dialysis before taking them through the process. She was thrown in the deep end but managed to keep her head afloat and learned the skill on the job. In 2005, she formalized her training by enrolling for higher diploma classes in renal nursing.

From the first day, Nancy enjoyed her work as a renal nurse. In the course of time, she developed deep meaningful friendships with many of the patients who visited the hospital. In 2010, KNH began expanding its transplant services, and with the rising number of patients, someone was needed to coordinate the transplants that took place. When Nancy was chosen for the job, she decided to boost her skill set by enrolling at the University of Nairobi for a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing.

By the time she was graduating in 2013, she had become the point person within the facility for all transplant activities. The hospital administration was so pleased with how she conducted her work that they encouraged Nancy to apply for a postgraduate degree at the University of Barcelona in Spain. The next year, Nancy was halfway across the world pursuing a Master’s degree in Donation of Organs, Tissue and Cells for Transplantation courtesy of Kenyatta National Hospital.

Nancy enjoyed her time in Spain. Despite being one of two Africans in the class, she was never made to feel like an outsider. Everyone was so friendly, and she loved interacting with people from various backgrounds of health workers who had chosen to become transplant coordinators. In 2015, Nancy Njeri Wang’ombe graduated from Barcelona University. She was one of the few health workers on the continent and the first in Kenya to train in transplant work.

As a transplant coordinator, Nancy spends her day with patients in need of kidneys. From the moment a patient comes into Kenyatta National Hospital for a kidney replacement, they are under Nancy’s care. She first takes them through patient education so that they understand what a transplant entails, then assign them to social workers who will deal with them individually. Nancy monitors and evaluates the needs of the patients every step of the way until a donor match is found. Before the transplant, she starts both parties off on the necessary medication and follows up after the surgeries to ensure that the recovery process is as smooth as possible for everyone involved.

Nancy’s love for her patients radiates through her work. Today, we celebrate her not only as a health worker but as a pioneer in her field.