Help us save Isaac!

Hello! My name is Cheryl, and over the course of this year I have been partnering with Jack Lekishon, a leader in his Maasai community in Kenya, to help him gain much needed exposure for the challenges which have been increasingly threatening his community. We focus on and overlap many projects, and some projects are dedicated to individuals in the community needing emergency help of some kind.

 

This is Isaac, also named Sabaya. He's 7 years old and is severely affected by spastic cerebral palsy. He's pictured in the wheelchair, with his parents standing behind him and Jack seated next to him.

 

A couple of months ago, his parents approached Jack Lekishon out of desperation. They know Jack as a genuine, fearless leader and helper within their Maasai community, and they thought there may be a chance that he could connect the family with emergency resources for Isaac, whose condition has become so much worse even in the past couple of months. They were right. Jack has been by their sides ever since, exploring every avenue, accompanying them to the hospital, traveling to obtain whatever they need and delivering these items to their home, all while continuing to help various other members of his community who desperately need to be invested in. Jack is a visionary in many ways.

 

If you know people who are affected by cerebral palsy, then you know what treasures they are, and you witness the true meaning of *the strength of the human spirit.* This tiny boy is a survivor and he is in so much pain. He needs a lot of help if he is to transcend this dangerous phase of medical deterioration. He deserves to live! Though he has parents who love him fiercely and have fought for his survival since the day he was born, they are so materially impoverished that they are unable to afford the orthopedic surgery which the doctors at Longisa Hospital have repeatedly indicated is critical. We have had some trouble in going back and forth with the doctors there in terms of establishing the name of the exact procedure but we have collected from them some signed documents indicating that Issac's spastic cerebral palsy has reached a critical point and he requires surgical intervention.

 

Jack and I understand that when we ask people over the internet for financial assistance for his community, we're asking you to put your trust in our follow-through. We are full of immense gratitude for the dozens and dozens of you who have helped us raise many thousands of dollars for emergency food, tuition for girls, sanitary pads and other necessities throughout the past year. Jack and I and my husband Anupam have become such dear friends and we are genuinely dedicated to doing everything we can do to help Jack's community. We are so humbled by the depth of your care for the most vulnerable and marginalized in the Maasai community, and it is the genuine nature of our projects and Jack's reputation within his community which led Isaac's parents to take all their courage in their hands that morning and walk miles to knock on Jack's door.

 

What we are asking for is to help us raise $8,000 as quickly as possible. The Longisa hospital is not making an exception for a $7,500 deposit for going ahead with the surgery, and meanwhile Isaac needs to be going to physical and occupational therapies on a biweekly basis. Therefore, $8,000 is a minimum of what we need in order to secure a chance at physical wellness for Issac. At the beginning of our campaigning for Isaac a couple months ago, we were able to buy him an excellent wheelchair -- an upgrade from the flimsy little plastic chair he had before, which was all his family was able to provide for him. We are so grateful to the anonymous party who recognized his discomfort in his pictures acted quickly to provide a baseline for some physical relief for Isaac. I know people like that are out there, those who believe that radical acts of kindness can change the world.

 

Anything you can give to help us raise these much needed funds to save Isaac's life is so very appreciated, and will go directly to Isaac's medical expenses. We have always been able and willing to provide receipts for all purchases, and Jack fastidiously documents the paperwork involved in all of his overlapping projects. I have never met anybody so dedicated to his community as Jack Lekishon is. He is willing to be vulnerable and ask for help, and he is willing to back this up with consistent follow-through.

 

Please do not hesitate to reach out to Jack or myself with any questions you may have about this humanitarian effort we have come together for. We are, again, humbled by your sincere interest in this important community and the flow of your compassion for this fragile and beloved little boy. I want his parents to see him grow up and transcend this pain and frustration. I want them to have the support they deserve as a family.

 

The Maasai communities of Eastern Africa are very special keepers of Nature and deserve every advancement. Isaac is already *such a survivor*! Now let's give him a chance to grow strong within his community.

 

Thank you for reading, caring and giving.

 

Warmest regards,

 

Cheryl Ewers