Northbound Foundation

Abandonment is a story that is all too common for many of our children at Precious Kids Center.

I empathize with these mothers who have no support from family, their husbands, their communities and are seen as a curse right along with their child. I can’t imagine the pain and suffering that leads up to a mother leaving her child alone and defenseless and walking away forever.

This is part of Ezra’s story.

He was left outside of a hospital outside of Kitale in an area called Kapenguria. He has cerebral palsy and lived at the hospital all alone for two months. In Kenya, the hospitals are very understaffed. If you are a child who is abandoned without someone to care for you, the nurses simply don’t have the time or the resources to sit down and feed a child, especially one who requires a lot of time to eat. So, if the mother in the bed next to Ezra wasn’t willing to give her time to feed him, than he would get one meal a day.

He can’t speak, so everything about him, even his name, was a mystery to the staff.

They didn’t even have clothes for him, he was just lying covered by a thin sheet on the bed. He lived there for two whole months, all alone.

Just remembering the story and the situation at the hospital makes me tear up, but Ezra beamed the entire time.

When he saw his new clothes, he smiled.

When I was slightly jokingly scolding the staff for not even giving him a name, he chuckled.

When I picked him up and said “let’s go home“, he belly laughed.

Four years later, he is still beaming, laughing, and smiling.

When I’m having a tough day or just need someone to laugh at my jokes, you can find me sitting with Ezra.

His joy is so pure, and I ask God to give me more moments where I have joy like Ezra and take the time to really appreciate all the joy that’s all around and give it away as freely as he does.

About the Author

Sammy first traveled to Kenya as a teenager—and what she saw changed her life. Moved by the neglect and rejection faced by children with disabilities, she felt a clear calling to act. What began with caring for three children has grown into Precious Kids Center, a home and school for over 120 kids. For the past 13 years, Sammy has poured herself into this work—not for recognition, but because every child deserves to be seen, loved, and valued. Her story is a testament to what can happen when one person says “yes” and chooses to stay.