We found John in one of the mountain yards, right next to a thatched cottage, struggling to push an empty canister in front of him. He was using the canister as a walker. He was so determined that for a moment we forgot about the poverty surrounding us.
John was born prematurely. After giving birth, his mother — alone and terrified by the diagnosis of cerebral palsy in her child — decided to move in with her own grandmother. When John was only a few months old, his mother left him in the care of his grandmother. For John, she is now his great-grandmother — the only person who tried to give him warmth and care, despite enormous difficulties.
John’s great-grandmother is an elderly, sickly widow. She gave birth to fifteen children — two of them are already dead, thirteen are alive, but none of them have offered her any support in caring for her grandson. She has been left completely alone with all of this.
In late spring 2024, at one of the district administration meetings where we discuss the children in the care of our family home, I met a child protection officer who knew that we had children with special needs in our care. She asked if we could visit John’s home, which was a three-hour drive away in the mountains.
My husband and I went there together. My heart broke at the sight of the poverty and helplessness that prevailed in the hut. The elderly lady was doing her best, but it was clear that she was no longer able to bear the burden of caring for the boy on her own.
Check out how John works with a canister:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCKYVFJzvvU
I then asked the clerk to prepare all the necessary documents so that we could take John home with us—to our family children’s home. His great-grandmother assured us that she would visit the boy, that she wanted to know how he was doing, and that she would stay in touch with him.
We truly believed that. We hoped that even though John had been entrusted to our care, he had not been emotionally abandoned. That he would have contact with someone close to him whom he trusted. Unfortunately… Since that day in June 2024, when she arrived with the official and left him with us, she has not been in contact with us even once.
This silence hurts. For weeks, then months, John waited for her. He listened for footsteps in the yard, waited for the door to open, asked questions in his own way.
Every day, he hoped she would keep her word. And every day, we witnessed his sadness, his incomprehension, his disappointment.
He was a burden to her. To us, he is a miracle who deserves a chance.
We have been doing everything we can for him for several months. We believe that God will allow John to walk and learn like any other child. That one day he will swap his canister for a school bag and go to school with a smile on his face.
Thank you for being with us. ❤️
Warm regards,
Regina [ Adoption of the Heart, family-style children’s home, Kenya]
The continuation of John’s story – coming soon!