Japhet’s Miracle: A Life Saved, a Family Lifted

Japhet is just five years old—a bright little boy who had always been healthy. He lives with his family in a very remote part of the upper Kerio Valley in Kenya, tucked deep in the hills, hours away from the nearest hospital. After losing much of their livestock to cattle raids—a common conflict in the area—his family has been left with almost no income. Education is scarce, and healthcare even harder to reach.

So when Japhet started having seizures, his family waited. For four days, they tried to manage at home. But when he didn’t improve, they made the long, exhausting journey—a 9km walk through the forest, followed by a three hour drive—to get him to Kapsowar Hospital.

By the time they arrived, Japhet was barely breathing. He’d been seizing for hours on the road. He was rushed in to see our doctors, who immediately started him on strong anti-seizure medication and antibiotics. It took three different drugs to finally stop the seizures. But even after they stopped, Japhet’s little body couldn’t breathe on its own. He was in respiratory failure.

Japhet on the ventilator

We had no choice but to put him on a ventilator—a life-saving measure that, honestly, most rural hospitals just aren’t equipped to provide. But because we could, Japhet made it through. Just 24 hours later, he came off the breathing machine, and for the first time in days, his tiny chest rose and fell with normal, steady breaths.

But we still needed answers. Why had this happened? Thanks to our patient assistance fund, Japhet was transferred by ambulance to the nearest large town for a CT scan for a clearer diagnosis. The scan confirmed what our doctors had suspected: an infection in or around the brain. A lumbar puncture showed it was likely viral meningitis.

Japhet began to recover, slowly but surely, in our pediatric ward. His uncle came from another town to help care for him. But as the days went on, the cost of care started to weigh heavily on the family. Japhet’s father—worried and overwhelmed—began talking about taking his son home mid-treatment to try traditional remedies.

Japhet slowly recovering in the pediatric ward, accompanied by his uncle, who came from another town to help care for him

Our social work team gently stepped in. They listened, offered support, and explained the importance of staying until Japhet fully recovered. They also discovered the family had no idea that Kenya offers public medical insurance for just $2 a month per family. And even if they had known, the cost—small as it may seem—would have been out of reach. They had already sold their last sheep to pay a hospital deposit of KSH 5,000 (about $38). Instead of putting that money toward the bill, we encouraged them to use it to register for a full year of health insurance.

Thanks to the kindness of our donors, we were able to cover the rest of Japhet’s medical bill—KSH 88,000 (about $676). That support changed everything for this family. They never stopped expressing their thanks, not just for the treatment, but for the compassion, the dignity, and the second chance we were able to give their son.

Japhet’s father wrote us this note:

Japhet and his dad, grateful to be returning home with his healthy son

“I thank God for healing my son. I appreciate the doctors of Kapsowar Mission for their efforts of helping my son. Thank to the doctors that paid for CT scan and ambulance to be taken to Eldoret. My whole family is happy for the support from you and donors for paying our medical bill. We appreciate you so much and may almighty God bless you and add more to you to continue helping others.”

It’s stories like Japhet’s that remind us why we do this work. And it’s your generosity that makes it possible. You didn’t just save a little boy’s life—you lifted a burden a family couldn’t carry alone. Thank you.