Watching God’s story play out in an individual’s life is encouraging, even faith building. Being given the opportunity to participate, is nothing less than a great privilege and honor. In 2006, the Kipkaren Children’s Home (Empowering Lives International ) welcomed Jacob Ayieko into its family. Jacob and his four siblings became orphans at a young age after both his mother and father passed away. Jacob’s story could have ended there; however, he was given a new chance at a life. Cared for by loving house parents, Peter and Zipporah Matekwa, Jacob experienced family again. One hundred other orphans from different communities were also welcomed into the home, who became his brothers and sisters. Jacob was given an opportunity to go to school. He was not only taught about the love of Christ through the word of God, but was shown through action. Jacob is currently in his third year of high school and dreams of becoming a pilot one day.
In March 2012, Jacob began experiencing symptoms associated with severe anemia. He was taken to a Referral Hospital in a nearby town where he received multiple work-ups and treatment. In July 2014, he was diagnosed with aplastic anemia and recommended to receive a bone marrow transplant in India (since there are no hospitals in Kenya that are able to facilitate this treatment). Questions began to be asked and the miracles of God in Jacob’s life continued.
Where would a donor match be found?
How does one go to India for such a procedure?
What about the money required? Where would that come from?
As seemingly hard questions were asked, God answered…one by one, giving us and many others the chance to participate in His story in Jacob’s life.
Jacob’s siblings were found (a miracle in itself) and agreed to be tested to see if they would be a match for the bone marrow transplant. Miraculously, samples were able to be drawn in our local town and sent to South Africa. Two weeks later, another huge miracle. The results came back and Jacob’s older brother was found to be an exact match (“ Each brother and sister who has the same parents as you has a 25% (1 in 4) chance of matching you. However, 70% of patients (7 of 10) do not have a match in their family,” www.bethematch.org).
Another miracle, meeting Linner Soy, Care Consultant from A&K Global Health, who began walking us through all the steps to make this journey a reality. Obtaining passports (not a simple task in Kenya), vaccinations, letters from doctors and medical records, finding the right hospital and doctor in India.
And then the hospital quotation arrived…$45,000. After experiencing miracle after miracle in Jacob’s story, this amount certainly did NOT seem insurmountable. People who loved Jacob united and three fundraising teams were created: Empowering Lives International, Living Room, and the Kenya Community (including government and friends).
And yet another miracle, God provided and we met the target.
In awe and overwhelmed by God’s miracles in Jacob’s story, on April 11, 2015 Jacob, Calvince (his brother) and Peter (house parent) stepped on their first ever airplane and flew to Bangalore, India. Jacob is currently admitted to the hospital and final preparations for the bone marrow transplant are underway. Jacob and team will be in India for approximately three months for the procedure and recovery. Pray with us that God will complete His miracle in Jacob’s life by making him whole again.
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