- Merveille Ansiima, 24, went public about her battle with endometriosis five months after giving birth to her third son
- The young mother said her pain was so severe at times that she could not hold her five-month-old baby
- Ansiima changed healthcare providers multiple times but said she continued to feel dismissed and unheard
Merveille Ansiima, a 24-year-old mother of three living in Sweden, has spoken out about what she describes as years of feeling dismissed by the medical system as she battles endometriosis while raising a young family.
Source: Instagram
Writing on Instagram on October 19, 2026, Ansiima shared that she is five months postpartum and still suffering from severe, debilitating pain.
How many boys does Ansiima have?
She has three boys aged five years, two years, and five months, and says the condition has pushed her to the breaking point.
Ansiima described changing healthcare providers repeatedly in the hope that a different doctor would take her condition more seriously, but each time she came away feeling invisible.
"Sometimes, the pain is so bad that I can't even hold my five-month-old baby," she wrote, asking her followers to consider how devastating that reality is for a mother.
What is endometriosis?
The experience eventually led her to a painful question she had been reluctant to voice.
"Is my pain being taken less seriously because I'm Black?" she wrote, acknowledging that the thought itself broke her heart.
Endometriosis, a chronic condition in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the womb, affects roughly one in ten women of reproductive age worldwide and is frequently associated with diagnostic delays.
Do black women face longer waits for diagnosis of endometriosis?
Research has suggested that Black women face longer waits for diagnosis and are less likely to have their pain adequately treated compared to white patients.
Ansiima was careful to frame her appeal in measured terms. She is not seeking preferential care, she said, only the same standard of compassion any patient deserves.
"I'm asking for compassion, fairness, and for my pain to be taken seriously," she wrote. "Nobody should have to beg to be heard, feel dismissed, or endure unnecessary suffering while trying to see a doctor."
Do black women deserve to be heard?
Her post ended with a direct appeal on behalf of Black women more broadly.
"Black women deserve to be heard. Our pain matters. Our lives matter. Our children deserve mothers who receive the care they need," she wrote.
The post struck a nerve online and drew significant attention, with many readers identifying with the experience of being overlooked within healthcare systems.
Nairobi teacher loses uterus
In another story, TUKO also highlighted facts about Nairobi teacher Jane Murimi Mugo, who underwent a hysterectomy after years of pain caused by endometriosis.
Despite losing her uterus and cervix, Murimi said her pelvic and lower back pain had disappeared after surgery.
Source: TUKO.co.ke