We first met Jerry when his mum attended our mother and baby tent at our community fun day in 2014. His story is very emotive and highlights the plight of many Kenyan parents today.
Jerry’s mum Eunice is happy for us to tell his story in the hope it will help other children.
Jeremiah was six when we met him, far too old for the work we were doing that day. Our age limit for the mother and baby tent was six months old. His mother Eunice came to us out of desperation and knew he was too old but had nowhere else to go.
Jerry has multiple health problems, but also many that you cannot. He has hydrocephalus, is blind and cannot swallow solid food. No one knows for sure if he can hear but we suspect that he can slightly. He has severe spasticity of his limbs and is painfully thin. He has a nasty scar on his face from when he had his brain shunt put in.
His young life has consisted of living mostly in the dark, laying flat on his back on the floor, without any stimulation and never upright unless held in your arms.
Many disabled children in Kenya can be hidden away, as some think it is a curse for their children to be disabled but Eunice doesn’t – she takes him with her wherever she goes, carrying him in a kanga (a sling on her back) unless she is going to work, which then her mother looks after him. Eunice is a single mum with two other children. She has a strong conviction to care for and support her family but often without an income which is difficult, especially considering Jerry’s needs.
On one of our trips, Jeremiah was very ill. He had a very high temperature and was unable to cough or clear his chest. Our family event was not the appropriate place for him. Eunice was advised to take him to see a doctor and I said we would be happy to see her the next day.
We provided food and medication for him. He got better and as a charity, we decided we would continue to support Eunice, not only with his basic needs but also his medical needs.
For the next few years, we bought him a handmade chair so that he could eat sitting up for the first time ever. He was happy and smiled. Our trustee in Kenya (Esther) continues to visit him, as do other trustees when they are in Kenya.