Kenya: Missions of Hope ~ Stories of God's Goodness ~ Part 1

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

In Vancouver, British Columbia where I live, the weather and temperatures have caught up to the season. Summer came late to our area but went on until well in to October. Our summer came late, I believe it was in June and we had a lot of rain until then. Then we had next to no rain and severe drought conditions by the end of September.  Things certainly do go to extremes these days.

Today though the real news is what has been happening in the Kenya Missions of Hope initiative.  I'm pleased to share some wonderful news of Kenya and the bit of humanitarian and missionary work that my DH and I carry out in that country.  Some of you may remember Eunice who was suffering from a condition of chronic anemia. It wasn't her only health condition. She has other conditions related to goiter and high blood pressure but the anemia is what sent her back and forth to hospitals on numerous occasions.  After being admitted and discharged from several hospitals, she again was transported by medical ambulance to a private hospital in the City of Nakuru, Kenya, located several hours from her home village. (You can locate Nakuru in the map below by looking northwest of Nairobi). She was admitted in February 2019 and she was there all throughout the pandemic. During that time she almost went home to Heaven on more than one occasion but after intensive care at the  High Dependency Unit (HDU),  she was able to bounce back. Truthfully I am amazed at how God kept her and helped her each time because I really thought her time to go home to Heaven had come.

Between 6-8 months in the private hospital it became clear that the expenses would be far too much for what our little humanitarian group could comfortably deal with.  Private hospitals and even government hospitals in Kenya are notoriously expensive and often procedures are done with a fiscal purpose in  mind rather than a health related outcome.  We could not afford the expense of proper treatment at the hospital where she was admitted and truthfully we didn't even know what proper treatment would entail since we were never told how the hospital could treat Eunice.  They wanted to do some kind of surgery but could not say how it would help her if at all.  We simply could not support doing surgery on a weakened person with multiple health conditions without knowing how it was supposed to help her.

The hospital didn't really want to keep Eunice after the first year because of refusal to go forward with surgery. In addition we were not paying all of the hospital costs.  We were however paying for the intensive interventions that were required from time to time. We also paid for a private nurse to attend Eunice, Eunice's medicines, toiletries and special foods prepared by the hospital. After it became clear that the hospital was not really treating Eunice except when her condition took a serious downturn, Jonah and I discussed the need to try and move Eunice back to her home (hospital).  I strongly felt that at least Eunice could be visited by some of her family members or assisted by them in some small ways once pandemic restrictions were relaxed. 

As you know the pandemic went on for quite a long time so nothing was able to be done about the move.  Moving Eunice would not be easy due to the prohibitively expensive ward fees that had accrued at the hospital.  It was only just before Jonah departed Kenya for Canada that he was able to undertake the travel for meetings with high level hospital officials in 2 different cities and  research and arrange with a new hospital for Eunice's  placement and arrange medical transportation for the transfer. All of these preparations were very costly.

At the new hospital, Jonah was assured by the new doctor that after several months of medical treatment and physiotherapy, Eunice would be able to go home.  I was cautiously optimistic given everything that had transpired over the previous 3 years.

Eunice has been admitted to the new hospital for going on at the hospital now for approximately 7 months. She has grown in strength and during that time.  With the help and assistance of one of her sisters, she has been able to go to her own home for overnight stays to see how she does. She has been doing well but is at this point still in hospital. She will have more home visits until she is hopefully discharged.

We are very happy for Eunice.  To God be the glory for keeping her, helping her and giving us the right medical contacts both to get her transferred and to rehabilitate her. She isn't home yet but we are grateful for how far she has come and I truly look on this outcome as a miracle.

Please continue praying for Eunice to be completely healed and able to live life on her own again. If you are able, and want to contribute to the work of helping the villagers in and around Kericho who need medical, food or educational help there is a Pay Pal button on the right of the blog. We also covet your prayers for these dear ones and for us so we can be guided in the humanitarian work. God bless.

Skies Over Vancouver, Skies Over You

Hello friends,

It's hard to believe but the summer here is almost over.

I captured these beauties in the early morning hours of Monday, August 5, 2019. 

Taken at night at the community garden plots on August 8, 2019.

Just a brief note about the Kenyan missions.  Ernest, the young man who was run over in Kenya (see side bar photos) is recovering well at home. He is escorted to the hospital each week for a check up to make sure everything is going well. The metal contraption (its name escapes me) has been removed. He now wears a cast and gets around with crutches and a wheelchair.

Ernest is discharged from hospital.

Here he is a few weeks later after the medical device was removed from his leg.
Thank you so much to the two friends who helped with his hospital bill.

Night descends quickly but still lots of people sitting in the park.

~~~~

In sadder news, my friend Eunice has been in hospital for going on 6 months in a city called Nakuru, Kenya.  This city is about 3 hours away from her home and she is at this hospital because she requires more more specialized care.  But she really hasn't been doing well for most of the 6 months.  The family has been told to remove her from hospital due to significant unpaid bill but before she can be transported she needs to get a bit stronger.  The bill must be paid before they will allow her to be moved  (a catch 22 situation).

The family is hoping to move her back to her home town and is trying to arrange hospice care there.
Hospice care will take more funds but if she has to be hospitalized in the public hospital much of the cost should be covered by health insurance. We'll have to wait and see how this all plays out because very little is ever straight forward in Kenya.

Kindly keep this need and this family in prayer.
I believe in answers to prayer.

 
 
It's a miracle to know the same sky that covers me here at home covers the people where you are and moreover covers the people in Kenya. Such an awesome thought.

~~~~ 

Joining in with 

Skywatch Friday this week. 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Sad

I'm feeling a little sad tonight so this will be a different kind of post. 

I just learned last night that a young cousin of mine who acted as one of the pall bearers at my mom's funeral last year has had to go into surgery. It was a rather complicated surgery involving his tongue, his leg and his wrist as there were surgeries to remove cancer and surgeries to graft skin. I spoke to his mom early evening and she informed me that surgery lasted 20 hours and it is a little too early to know how things went. At the same time her son went in for surgery, the young man's father died of the same cancer. He had been fighting the cancer for long.

I don't have a good photo of my cousin but that is him leaning over the casket just over the left shoulder of the man in the suit.

Also in the last few days I heard that my sister in law went in for a hysterectomy and had to be rushed to emergency twice since being discharged. In the second visit they performed another surgical procedure once more. She is doing much better now. 

In Kenya, Grandma Sally is hanging on by a thread. I cannot get over how strong she is.  Almost 2 months ago the doctor had given her about 2 weeks to live so we transferred her to hospice. She is still with us though she is very weak. It is only a short matter of time now. I am sad that I didn't get to visit her and that my travels to Kenya have been delayed in favour of helping her family to provide her with the best medical help we can get.  She expressed her gratitude for extending her life through medical helps.

Through these difficult times I am missing my loved ones who have gone before, my dear mom in particular. I miss all our chats and the ability to ask for her help about how to do certain things. We used to enjoy long visits in person and by phone though in latter years that was no longer possible.

Even though I miss her, I am grateful that her physical suffering is over.  I pray she is having a very good visit with all the family that are in heaven to greet her. I have the hope that some day I shall see them all again though tonight I had a good cry anyway.

The scripture in Psalms 56:8

says

"You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book."

This verse of scripture has always touched me.

~~~~

Stay safe, hug your loved ones and have a peaceful weekend.

I won't be linking with any linky party's today.

Much love to each of you.

♥♥♥

Sally's Miracles - Part 2

This is Part 2 of the story of the elderly lady named Sally that I introduced you to about a week ago. If you missed Part 1 and are interested you can pick up the beginning of story here.

I left off in Part 1 by saying how Sally began having health issues and had to be admitted to hospital more than once.  I guess that can hardly be surprising at the ripe old age of  103 years but she had been a vibrant, energetic woman throughout her life so this was a new thing.  Sally began having unexplainable fainting spells and weakness.  Once admitted to hospital she was alternatively placed in a private ward or an in Intensive Care Unit depending on her particular condition which would change if she was in the hospital for any length of time.

A week and a half or so before Christmas 2017 she was discharged to go home from one of her hospital stays.  She was extremely happy because she wanted to spend Christmas in her own home. Of course anyone can understand that. But it wasn't meant to be. Within just a  few short days she returned to the hospital and has been there ever since.

Skies above Utali College, Nairobi, Kenya, January 18, 2018.

  Now comes what I feel is a very miraculous aspect to this story.

These Kenyan skies give a feeling of peace. Taken January 18, 2018.

I  had gone to sleep rather late on Christmas Eve and was awakened at approximately 5:50 Christmas morning. In Kenya the time would have been approximately 4:50 p.m. Christmas Day.  I awoke with a song playing through my head (Song: This is Just What Heaven Means to Me).  I felt led to pray for Miss Sally.  I knew from previous experience that this meant that Sally was struggling with life and likely on her way home to Heaven.  Yet I had been roused from sleep and felt the need to pray for Sally so I did. Shortly after prayer I went back to sleep. 

Another Nairobi sky, January 18, 2018.

Later that same day, I chatted with my Kenyan friend and asked some questions. Through the process I learned that Sally almost went home to be with her maker at precisely the same time I had been roused to pray for her.  But she rallied and ultimately lived through the day and was at that moment stablilized

I was very grateful. Grateful to hear Miss Sally was still amongst the living and grateful that I did pray for her too

I remember saying to my friend that I was glad that the family did not have to lose their loved one on Christmas Day. If that had happened they would always remember Christmas Day as the day that they lost their mother or grandmother.  I also said at the time that we do not know how long Miss Sally would live and remain on earth but we knew that God had answered prayer and he would determine how many days she would have left.

Since that time Miss Sally has had a few medical ups and downs. We thought she might be discharged at one point but later she lost strength and was ultimately sent to another city, as if often the case in Kenya, for MRI and other tests. They found that she has a very low red blood cell count and have been administering appropriate treatments.  But they also think there might be some kind of a spinal issue.  The doctors are thinking Sally may be released if her blood pressure stabilizes but she will need to return frequently as an outpatient for check up and  treatment.

We continue to pray for her and she seems to be improving daily.

I conclude this story by stating how strong Miss Sally's faith has been throughout this time. On the days when she has been able to talk and is aware of everything, she prays for the needs of others, sings songs of praise and encourages her family members to walk uprightly and in a Christian manner.  Her approach to life and her approach to dealing with these difficult days has been very inspiring. In fact, her ability to bounce back has been very surprising too to everyone, including the doctors.

I do not know how many days Miss Sally will be given but I thank God that I have been able to help her and that her faith has remained strong throughout.  It is very inspiring to walk with Sally through these latter days of her life

Now since it is Skywatch Friday I want to leave you with some a few more sky photos from Vancouver, British Columbia where I live.

This is the sky on Thursday afternoon So dark and foreboding.

If I look further up, I see there actually is some blue sky above.

I was lucky enough to capture a seagull in flight.

It has been raining heavily on and off over the last few days but the temperatures are about 5 degrees warmer than the usual temperatures at this time. That's what I learned on the late night weather report recently.  Thank you for dropping by. I do appreciate each and every one of you who visit and leave a comment.

Joining  in with

Skywatch Friday 

Friday Foto Friends

and

Saturday's Critters.

Update: Friday January 19/17 - I've received word that Sally is to be discharged this weekend. The hospital is waiting for medications sent from Nairobi. The medications are expensive.  I am helping with the full hospital bill and required medications but I need help for future medication needs. If there is anyone that feels led to help Sally into the future please do get in touch with me.
Otherwise, I understand.
Thanks so much for stopping by!

Short Update - Kenyan Missions

Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God.  Remember that nothing is certain in this life. Ecclesiastes 7:14 (NLT)

April 30, 2016 Update:  The boy who underwent surgery and is in a Nairobi Hospital has suffered a setback. He was losing blood. He has a rare blood type and it was difficult to find blood for him (Kenya is generally short on blood so you can imagine the dearth of blood for rare blood types). They eventually found two pints. Please continue to pray for this young man. (Context and details below in the main post.).  May 1, 2016 Update:  The boy seems to be doing better today

Hello everyone, 

I hope this post finds you well. Today is Skywatch Friday but I am not linking up because I want to update about the Kenyan missions as some of you have told me you are praying about the needs I wrote about here. Some have asked that I try to update and so I am honouring that request.

The photo below is of the young orphan boy who had a large tumour growing on his neck and throat.

My friend and I got him to Nairobi for surgery. His surgery was originally scheduled for Wednesday April 19th.  During assessment they found him to be anemic so they had to give him blood.  It took longer than anticipated to address his anemia. The surgery was rescheduled to Friday April 22nd.  It went ahead as planned and the boy is now recovering in hospital.

In the photo below you will see the tumour is now removed. You can see the big scar. I am a bit concerned about what looks like an open wound and I hope and pray that no infection sets in. The boy is under medication.

A friend has travelled to Nairobi to be with the boy, his escort and his host. These are all young men of only 18 years of age. They are all from different village communities. They feel lost and abandoned without any senior adult help and few funds to address the various needs.  I'm glad my friend has travelled on short notice to be with and encourage the boys through this trying time. 

The next thing my friend is working on is trying to arrange for chemotherapy as the boys cannot stay in Nairobi indefinitely. The boys release from hospital is expected early next week pending clearance of the bill.

Keep these boys in your prayers.

Also right now it is rainy season in Kenya. There have been more floods and deaths and buildings collapsing in Nairobi and other parts of Kenya.

 Prayer needs:

1) That all material and financial needs will be met

2) Workable arrangements for chemotherapy

3) Freedom from infections and side effects

4) Safety from floods and rains
5) Peace and comfort.

I appreciate those of you who are interested in praying for these young men. May God bless you.

Great News ~ Update on Baby Fidelis

Hello everyone,

Some of you will remember from earlier posts that I was trying to assist a child named Baby Fidelis and her family, to raise funds for medical help.  The funds were needed to travel from Kenya to Canada so that the baby could undergo reconstructive surgery. Medical costs were to be donated to the family but the family had to get to Canada and have funds to live on as well as funds for after care once they return home.

After a tumultuous start to their journey, the baby and her mother arrived in Toronto, Canada in August, 2015.  It's been awhile since there has been any news but thanks to a news agency in Kenya, there is now a public update. I'm sharing the photo and story below. Credit goes to The Star, Kenya.

Baby Fidelis underwent successful surgery last week in Toronto. There aren't any new  photos of how the baby looks since she is barely a week out of surgery. But I will update the photos of the baby if, and when, they do become available.

Thank you to those who  prayed for this mother and her child and  contributed to helping them financially.

~~~~

Baby Fidelis Muthoni in Canada before surgery. Photo/COURTESY BY ALICE WAITHERA

Baby Fidelis Muthoni has successfully undergone a corrective surgery in Canada to remove a growth on her face.

The one-and-a-half-year-old baby has been suffering from frontal bone defect since birth, which disfigured her face.

According to her father Kenneth Kinuthia, the baby underwent a surgery that took the better part of Tuesday and is now recuperating in the intensive care unit.

Kinuthia said his wife called him on Wednesday evening to tell him Muthoni was even able to speak, hours after she was out of the theatre.

“Muthoni has finally had the operation and we are now hoping she will get better and live a normal life,” he said.

on Thusrday, Kinuthia told the Star on the phone Muthoni’s doctors are confident the baby will recuperate soon and may leave Canada sooner than expected.

Muthoni has been undergoing tests in the country for two months prior to her surgery and was expected to live there until February as the doctors monitored her progress.

In August, a relative conned the family out of Sh2.8 million that had been raised by Kenyans for Muthoni and her mother's flight to Canada for the surgery.

President Uhuru Kenyatta contributed Sh500 for their air tickets while Murang'a Governor Mwangi Wairia gave out Sh300,000 for accommodation.

Update on Baby Fidelis, August 19, 2015

Hello everyone,

This post will be brief.

I am so sad to report that Baby Fidelis' surgery in Toronto did  not go forward on August 18, 2015 as scheduled.

A monetary dispute between Fidelis' family and the family advocate, Joseph, has erupted and interfered with the scheduled surgery. Serious allegations have been made and the police are now involved. I don't have too many details and I'm looking for positives in this matter.

The advocate says no funds have been stolen or lost.  So if he can be believed, that is good news.  However to the best of my knowledge, the funds haven't been transferred to Baby Fidelis' family yet.  Neither have the Canadian visitor's visas been given over to the baby and her mother.

A bit of good news is that the hospital in Canada says they will open a new surgery date for Baby Fidelis if the family can get to Canada soon.  Major hospitals in Kenya cannot do the type of surgery that Baby Fidelis requires which is why she has to travel abroad.

The challenge is that Baby Fidelis has a team of doctors  that have travelled to do the surgery.  They come from different countries and cannot indefinitely stay in Canada waiting for the baby and her mother to arrive.  I've heard that the doctors will remain in Canada  for 3 more weeks in hopes that the family can come up with the funds to fly to Toronto and to cover travel insurance.

Another bit of good news is that the county government where Baby Fidelis and family reside in Kenya, have officially  gotten involved in this case due to it's high profile nature and the devastating turn of events.

The Honourable Joseph M. Mbai, Chief Officer (Health & Sanitation) in Muranga County has contacted the Canadian Consulate in Nairobi concerning re-issuance of travel visas. Once visas are in hand, the county government will also pay for air travel for Baby Fidelis and her mother.  The baby and her mom will stay with a host family in Canada.  The host family originates from Kenya and can communicate with the mom in Swahili.  The host family members will also escort the baby and mother to the hospital each day.  The only remaining issue seems to be the general maintenance involved in half a year's stay in Canada.  Good Kenyans are now frantically fund-raising once again to help make all this happen very soon.

Sadly, this child has been caught in the middle of a dispute and it appears that the family advocate has seriously let her down.  As each day passes, the baby's face becomes more disfigured and the needed surgery becomes more complicated.

Baby Fidelis

Please continue to pray for this baby and her family.

Note:  I have revised, updated or deleted some of my earlier blog posts regarding Baby Fidelis and the advocate and will continue to try and do so.  Particularly those requesting donations be sent to the Hope Foundation in Kenya., an organization helping the very disabled in Kenya.  As a result of this dispute, the police have now frozen the Hope Foundation's  accounts pending resolution of this matter.  No funds should be sent there.

More Highway Driving

It was just about two weeks ago since I went to see mom. Here are a couple more sky photos from the drive.

It was a bit cloudy as you can see in the pics but that day the temperatures soared to 33 degrees Celsius by mid-to- late afternoon.  Since then they have been experiencing temperatures in the low 30s.Today it was 31 degrees.I much prefer the temperatures where I am now since it has cooled off a lot.

The day ended with a lovely sunset.

Short update:  My friends in Kenya have now got the travel visa to travel to Toronto Canada and they will arrive sometime next week.

Continue to pray for this group of travelers: for all their needs to be met, for a safe journey and for a successful surgery for Baby Fidelis. I am so excited for her and her family. Soon she will be able to resume a normal life free of pain and discomfort.

Photo Credit: Hope Foundation for Orphans, Kenya

My friend's mother, Eunice is still at the missions hospital but now on an outpatient basis to save money. She is recovering but needs continued monitoring. Her nose bleeding has slowed. Please pray for her complete recovery (typhoid and high blood pressure), ability to meet the medical costs and discharge very soon.

Thanks so much for your support.

I'm joining in somewhat belatedly with Skywatch Friday today. 

Have a look there for some awesome skies from around the world.

This and That

I've fallen behind in my reading goals for the year so have been trying to make up for it.

I've just finished reading London which is well over 1000 pages. This was my third book and perhaps the longest book by Edward Rutherfurd.  Maybe it only seems like the longest because it took me much longer to read it than the other two books (New York and Paris). London didn't quite meet my expectations. It started out strong and finished with a whimper. The book spans 2000 years and I admire a writer who tries to take on such a project even if the effort was not entirely successful.

Alexander McCall-Smith is a prolific writer and has written several different series of books; each of  which are vastly different.  I've read many books from his No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, all of which are set in Botswana, Africa. These are my favourite books from this author.   I have also read a few books from a few of his other series. I like them a little less but they are a decent read on a quiet afternoon.  None of his books take much time to read and they add to the sense of accomplishment  toward one's reading goals *wink.

I don't tend to read diet books but I like to learn about tips and tools to help engender a true lifestyle change.  This book is a good addition to the knowledge base and is so easy to read. In addition to the 20 "skinny rules" there are plenty of  menus and recipes all of which fall within the parameters of the author's rules.  I borrowed this book from the library and would need to purchase a copy if I hope to use the recipes in future.  However the author has another book which is made solely of recipes that fit within the "skinny rules".  That book might be more useful.

My current read is this biography of the great writer Charles Dickens. I don't know about you but I haven't read as many of Mr. Dickens' books as I would like.  I grew up watching old black and white movies based on many of his books. Great classics such as:  "A Christmas Carol","David Copperfield", "Great Expectations" and "A Tale of Two Cities". One of my favourite books of his is "The Old Curiosity Shop" but I don't recall seeing a movie based on it.

Before I finish the biography I will get started on the next two books (below).  I  came across them during a recent foray into a book shop. I was there to check out Harper Lee's newly released novel "Go Set a Watchman".

I don't purchase too many books these days but I wanted to check the price of Harper Lee's newly released book "Go Set a Watchman".  Since my visit to the book store I've placed a hold on it at my local library. There are several hundred people on the hold list so it will be at least 6 months before the book finds it's way to me.

It''s okay because I've got so many books that I already own that I can read in the meantime. I am constantly adding books to my "to read" list.  Many of these don't take so long to get once I place them on hold.  I also pick up interesting looking books off the shelves whenever I make a trip to the library. So you see, I am never without reading material.

Other than reading, I've been busy trying to revive my pansies which are mostly now on their last legs due to the heat wave we've been having all summer. I'm not sure if my efforts will work but they've given me a lot of pleasure over the summer with their beautiful colours. The geraniums are still doing well as are the petunias. The gladioli did bloom but  didn't do as well as I expected. Its the first time I've grown them. I think next year I will have to put stakes up to support them because they kept falling over the taller they go. Next year I want to grow sunflowers too and those grow even higher. My cherry tomatoes are now really starting to ripen in enough quantity to use in salads. Yum!

Last night there was a beautiful sky to the north of me so ran to get my camera. Normally we don't get nice colour in the skies to the north of me. We do get some beautiful sunsets here but in order to capture them I would have to be somewhere other than my home to get the right view of the western horizon.

I want to update that little Baby Fidelis had to undergo a medical assessment (Monday) in Nairobi, Kenya.  This is required as a step toward getting the visa to travel to Canada for surgery. Please continue to pray for this dear one and her advocate and her mother who are still hoping to be in Canada by middle August for the scheduled surgery.

Photo Credit: Hope Foundation for Orphans: Baby Fidelis & mother Martha

I also want to let you know that my friend's mom, Eunice, has been battling with typhoid fever. While she seemed to be recovering from typhoid fever she continued to experience mental confusion and heavy nose bleeds.  After being placed on different medications, she finally ended up in the missions hospital again.  This means going to the hospital a few hours away since the local hospital is incapable of diagnosing medical tests and they were perplexed by the issues. I had a sense that Eunice might be suffering from a secondary infection and needed help urgently. The American doctor at the missions hospital indeed found that Eunice had a bladder infection and said it was good she was brought in before sepsis set in.  It has taken a bit longer to get control of the nose bleeds caused by high blood pressure.  I just had word this morning that Eunice is much improved. Please pray for complete recovery and ability to pay the hospital bills.

Wishing each of you a wonderful week ahead.

I'm joining in this week with Our World Tuesday

Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day in North America.

I want to take a moment to wish all of you mother's a very happy and special day.

If you are a child or grown child and still have a mother I hope you will make a time to let her know how much you appreciate what she has done for you. Not everyone has that opportunity and not every one has a good mom but many are very blessed to have had a good and loving mother. 

I was fortunate to be blessed with a very loving mother.  One who took her responsibilities of love, care, concern and guidance for her family and other people very seriously. I was never unsure about mother's care and protection and she did her very best for all her children and for the children of others. For these blessings, I am very grateful.

She is now in the twilight years of her life and unable to do much.  Even so she still tries to think of others and show them she cares. Mostly though I now take care of her with the help of my youngest brother.  My nephew (my departed sister's son) also cherishes his grandmother as she helped to raise him.  Even though he is very busy he tries to make time to lift her spirits and give her the motivation to keep on living.

Mother's Day seems to be an appropriate time to let you know about Baby Fidelis and her mother who live in Kenya.

Mothers who live and toil in developing countries have it so hard.  This family is of very humble means and the mother finds it difficult to find work to care for her child but she does the best she can.

In Kenya when you have a disabled child, people become very suspicious of you.
Not only do you have to worry about how to take care of your child with limited means and no government support system but you have to contend with whispers, ridicule and accusations for people still think that you have been cursed or involved in witchcraft somehow and that is why your child is born with a disability.

Parents often hide their children and lock them away out of sight due to the stigma but also sometimes to protect them from others.

Baby Fidelis was born with a defect called large frontal growth (Encephalocele). This is a rare disorder that occurs in about 1 in 5000 births worldwide. If the child has surgery soonest, she has a better chance of recovery and normal development.

As you can see from her photos below this growth is very large and she needs surgery urgently.

She is expected to undergo reconstruction surgery in Canada but first the family advocate in Kenya is trying to raise the funds needed for several of them to travel to Canada and remain and live in Canada while the child undergoes surgery and recovers.

Can you help?

Just think if this was your baby or your grandchild, what would you do to help her?

Her mother is very poor and believe me if she could fly to Canada now on her own means she would gladly do it. 

But she needs our help.

They are SO CLOSE to having the needed funds to undertake the travel.

Baby Fidelis with her mother & family advocate, Joseph Wanjau, Hope Foundation

Time is of the essence and we need to do what we can now, not next week or the week after.

As the growth gets bigger it creates more pressure in the head for this young child.

Thank you for reading and responding.

Saving Angel Baby Fidelis - Goat Eating Party Fundraiser

Joseph Wambau in Kenya has posted the following effort to raise funds for Baby Angel Fidelis Muthoni in Kenya.

~~~~~~

Saturday 9th May we shall be having a Goat eating party as we raise funds for Angel Fidelis who was born with Large frontal growth (Encephalocele) with bone defect and is expected to undergo reconstruction surgery in Canada.
Your presence or support will be highly Appreciated

Goat Eating & Fundraising for Fidelis Saturday, May 9 at 11:00 am  Golden Palm Hotel, Kenol

~~~~~~~

I am far from Kenya as are many of you but I can continue to post of the need and encourage people to donate to the cause.
~~~~~~~~
 

Joseph Wambau, is the young man in Kenya who is helping Fidelis and her mother raise funds to travel to Canada  for much needed surgery. They need our support because the surgery in Canada is free but they do need to raise travel funds to get from Kenya to Canada and to have living expense money while they are in the country.

Please do what you can to share this need with your contacts and friends.

The more people who know of the baby's situation, the more people who will be reached that might help baby Fidelis.

If you have limited time but want to make a donation, you can do so through Pay Pal.

Here is a link to the Pay Pal button  http://hopefoundationkenya.org/donate.html
Please mark any donations as "Purpose - Baby Fidelis" so the funds get to the right child.
The Hope Foundation which is based in Nairobi, tries to help many orphans and disabled children.
Identifying the funds for Fidelis makes sure that it is earmarked for her travel and not to the general needs.

Update on Fundraising for Little Linet's Surgery

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

This is a quick update to let you know that we still need $80 60 (eighty sixty dollars) Canadian to get the medical evaluation as to whether cleft palate surgery can be performed on Little Linet. See story in my last post (click "Older Post" at bottom of this post if you do not see the story on this page).  We also need $70 (seventy dollars) Canadian for the return travels for 3 people (Little Linet, Mama Linet and Jonah to assist them). Altogether we need $130 dollars  (Canadian) for Little Linet.

I had a couple people contact me about the DONATE feature on Jonah's website which is acting up. This has been a long standing issue for us. Please send your donation via Pay Pal to kerichojoy[at]gmail.com if you have any problems with the DONATE button.

If you are following Edwin's progress for cancer treatment, please know that there is an upcoming trip on August 8th to Nairobi. At that time Edwin will have follow up check up and require more medicine to continue his treatment. If you would like to help Edwin, you can donate in the same way. He will need about $100 (one hundred) Canadian to cover travel, medical treatment and one month's food needs for Edwin and his family.

Thank you so much in advance on behalf of Jonah, Linet and Edwin. Blessings. xx

Little Linet

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

The last time I wrote you about little Linet she had been taken to hospital.  You might remember Little Linet is the girl with a cleft palate. Her family is not able to afford hospital care.

This photo shows Linet as a toddler when Jonah first started helping her with doctor visits and food.

My friend Jonah, in Kenya, first helped this little one because she couldn't eat. Somehow by the grace of God, the baby was able to start eating after medical attention and she gained weight. However she has been having  many problems and is now malnourished.

She went to hospital again a few weeks ago and the doctors took out her long front teeth, administered oral hygiene and tended to her  mouth wounds.  She is now on a strict diet which the mother cannot afford to purchase for her little girl. She needs our help.

This is Linet (standing) with her mother on her way to see doctor at mission hospital.

We still need to cover some nominal costs of Linet's oral surgery from a few weeks ago.   At the same time, we are trying to help with special food needs and raising the funds for the cleft palate surgery. The mission hospital is not close to where Little Linet lives with her family so there are additional costs like transport, food and lodgings.

You can see the little girl's long teeth in front. These were removed.

This girl is supposed to go to the missions hospital for an evaluation as to whether she can have surgery to repair her cleft palate.  Repairing it is the only way to resolve the different medical issues she has been suffering for a few years now.  It will cost us a few hundred dollars for the medical costs, transportation (Linet, her mother and Jonah to assist them), food and follow up costs.  If we can't raise the money for her surgery, she will continue to lose weight.

The surgery we are doing is NOT through Operation Smile. I did look into that program some time ago but learned that not everyone who can get to screening will be selected for surgery.  I also learned that Operation Smile collects a donation of $240 US even though surgeon and nursing care are donated to the surgery efforts.  The $240 doesn't cover the cost of a family's transportation to get to the medical center, lodging or food costs.  I've posted this information about Operation Smile just so you have something similar with which to compare Little Linet's need.

If you can help Little Linet get the medical evaluation and the surgery she so desperately requires, you can send your donation

via Pay Pal to kerichojoy[at]gmail.com

or link here at Kenya Missions of Hope for the DONATE button.

My apologies, but the links to Kenya Missions of Hope don't always work consistently.  If you have any problems at all please let me know.

Thank you so much for your understanding.