130,000. This is the estimated number of people who suffer from a spinal cord injury each year. Out of this yearly number, more than 2 million will end up disabled from their spinal cord injury. This situation is unimaginable but it is an unfortunate reality for many people.
Meet Cosmas Eliakim, an 11-year-old boy born and raised in a little-known village called Elukho in Kakamega County. He was born with a spinal cord issue that was diagnosed as paraplegia. When he failed to meet the normal movement milestones expected of a baby, his mother consulted a physician who gave her the devastating diagnosis. Eliakim would not be able to walk.
Physical disability has its innate challenges but in his village, Eliakim and his family had to face the added burden of the superstitious belief that any disability is a punishment from a deity. This, coupled with his physical inability to play with other children relegated him to a life of isolation no child should experience.
As part of our mission at Pharkama 254 Foundation , we selected him for our home outreach program because he is one of the most vulnerable people in his community. We sent a capable nurse to assess his situation and intervene accordingly. Eliakim got a full-body medical exam. From those results, he was provided with the necessary medical interventions. According to his mother, she could not quantify in numbers or words how much this improved her son’s life.
Eliakim was also diagnosed with autism so he was unable to attend the local public school which was the learning option his parents could afford. The local public school was barely able to provide sufficient books and teachers to cater to their large number of students. It would be impossible for them to provide the specialized care Eliakim needs. We therefore decided to enroll him into Daisy Special Needs School where he is now happily enrolled. During the school holidays, Pharkama 254 Foundation team, visits Eliakim’s home on weekly basis for a play date.
This is one of our proudest achievements. Using our resources, we were able to bring a much-needed but often neglected aspect of life: hope. Eliakim may not be able to run, but he is now in a position to chase his dreams.
