By Juli McGowan Boit | Published: September 18, 2013
David Kipkorir Birir
1976 – 2012
Guest at Living Room: August 6 – September 27, 2012
A terribly sick 36 year-old man named David arrived to Kimbilio Hospice on the back of a motorbike one afternoon. It was a familiar site but still hard to imagine that, in his critical condition, he had traveled miles along the dirt paths. With just a glance, it was clear that David was in desperate need of care. The condition of his skin was repulsive and inhumane, reeking of disease. David came in search of reprieve from his suffering.
For nearly five years, David endured the anguish of unrelieved pain. The toll of it all had left both his body and spirit broken. His sickness alienated him from so much of the world, and to no avail, his family attempted to get him help through treatment at various hospitals. As the Living Room staff read through a stack of discharge summaries, it was evident that David and his family were not the only ones left with questions regarding his deteriorating health; the doctors were mystified also.
As we consulted with a specialist regarding David’s case, the specialist teasingly asked, “How do these people always end up with you at the Living Room?” Over the next few days, the question remained with us. While the answer is multi-layered, we became increasingly convinced that the “hopeless cases” from far and wide, like David, that continue to show up to Kimbilio Hospice matter to God. By their coming, the vision of Living Room is being fulfilled. A community of compassion, although imperfect, has been created where the most vulnerable—the hungry, lonely, disabled, and dying—come and are treated with dignity. They come and we look into their eyes and listen to their stories, even when they cannot speak. We bind their wounds and feed their hungry stomachs. In doing so, we have the privilege of introducing them to the love and hope of Jesus. And in doing so, we, through them, also get introduced to Him again. These beautiful men, women and children, as Jean Vanier writes, “…teach us about vulnerability, about caring, and about the ways of the heart.”
David stayed with us for nearly two months before passing away. During that time, his pain was controlled, and he was loved and accepted by the Living Room team as he taught us of God’s unconditional acceptance of us.
David is worth running for
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