The Kindness of Strangers
Everyday, we witness random acts of compassion between strangers; whether it is holding open the door for a passenger behind you, or smiling to encourage the clerk who’s having a hard day at your local grocery store. If we’re so inclined, we can be the force responsible for brining a glimmer of light to another person so badly needing it in their darkest hour. This week, you were that force!
I am so pleased to announce our largest liberation ever through KBFF! This week, we released seven children in need, canceling bills totaling *5,773,950 cedis. The stories of each child and what they’ve endured so far at such a tender age are amazing. What is more amazing is their tenacity and strength, despite their youth. Six year old Sandra for example, is a sickle-cell patient who had been on admission at the hospital for 5 weeks. She has a growth in the chest region and urgently needed a CT scan which cost 1.5 million cedis. She bravely waited all those weeks while her mother tried to drum up the money to pay for the procedure just to determine what exactly the growth was.
Baby Aba is a 2 month old infant, born premature and thriving in Korle-Bu’s NICU. She was however detained at the hospital a month after her discharge with an outstanding bill of 1.2million cedis. 3 month Emmanuel was brought in with a heart problem, and needed an EKG and echocardiogram to determine what it’s nature and cause was. He finally got it after 500,000 cedis was disbursed.
Perhaps my favorite story is that of a young man named Michael, who has kidney problems that require treatment. Anyone who has ever had a relative with kidney failure or suffered any damage to the kidneys yourself can appreciate the work that these organs do, and the pain associated with them when they don’t work. After receiving treatment, his total bill came to over 2 million cedis. His grandmother had been able to secure 1 million for his bill, but her grandson was still detained at the hospital for over 2 weeks until we paid the balance of the bill. Our director for Africa reports that when the balance was paid, this grandmother went about hugging and lifting all the doctors, she was so grateful!
These are just a few of the particulars of the remarkable release stories…and while you may look at the numbers as astronomical, the total amount to affect permanent change in these children’s’ lives was just $630 (US). We desperately need your help to keep the momentum going though. Am I embarrassed to use the word desperate? Not at all; because for each of the kids we released this week, there are two more that are waiting to go home. Furthermore, depending on the type of treatment required by each child, that treatment may not be administered if the bill is not paid in advance.
If you have been inspired, and you too want to be a part of the force that is bringing smiles and relief to families in need, then please make your donation today. No amount is too small, and your generosity cannot be too great.
Thank you and God bless!
*(The current exchange rate is $1.00 to aprox. 9200 cedis)