Wilika Ndilimeke Frai presented a compelling and heartfelt narrative of her journey through chronic illness, struggles with endometriosis, and life-threatening blood clots when she launched her book "Scarred, Not Broken."
This deeply personal account not only highlights her unwavering resilience in balancing a demanding career alongside her health challenges.
Frai's story is a powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit. Filled with moments of both profound struggle and remarkable triumph, the book provides practical advice and encouragement for others facing health issues.
She says her inspiration to write a book was to inspire others and serve as a beacon of hope, reminding readers to maintain faith no matter the adversity.
"There are so many women who are going through a lot of illnesses, and they're not getting support from either their families or their husbands, especially women who are having infertility problems. They get to be, you know, people don't accept them in society, especially if you are married and you don't have children. You really need the support from your family, especially your husband. I had a very supportive system from my family, especially my husband. My husband's family, there was not a day when they made me feel as if I'm not welcome in the family, despite my chronic or severe mental illness that I had suffered for many years," she said.
The book contains personal accounts; a significant part of Frai's story is also her experience with pregnancy.
In June 1998, after waiting nine years in marriage to fall pregnant, she got the surprise of her life.
However, five months into her motherhood journey, she tragically miscarried.
This heartbreaking experience added another layer to her incredible journey of resilience and strength.
She later received both her children through surgeries in November 2002 and January 2005, marking precious moments in her life amidst her health battles.
"One thing when I discovered writing this book, it brought a lot of emotions, a lot of pain that I went through, and a lot of it reminded me a lot about going back to the pain, and it was one of the healing processes that I enjoyed when I wrote this book. And being a mother, it was not an easy thing to go through because you have to think about your children. They were still very small when I started getting sick and seeing what was going on."
The Executive Director of the Health Ministry, Ben Nangombe, who officiated the book launch, said Frai's journey is a testament to the successes within the public health sector.
Nangombe encouraged those going through the same predicaments to speak out and seek help from capable state health facilities.