Following His Steps: Help Baby Kenneth

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to go on a mission trip to the Philippines for two weeks. During my immersion, I stayed at a village in a small town on the island of Bohol and lived with a young mother, Jinemy, and her 3 year old son, Mark Kenneth (in the picture above).

During my stay with them, I noticed that Kenneth's motor skills were underdeveloped for a young boy his age. He was heavily reliant on his mother to help him walk and eat, and even his speech was impaired. Clearly he was missing out on the experiences that a toddler would be enjoying - running around with the other kids, jumping up and down, and even stuffing his face with chocolate to his heart's content.

Later on I found out from his mother that he was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. She told me that when Kenneth was about 1, they noticed that he had trouble walking. When he would attempt to walk, he would be on his tip-toes, caused by the tightly contracted muscles on the back of his legs.

Cerebral Palsy is a disorder that is caused by damage to areas of the brain affecting a person's ability to control movement and posture. Kenneth is currently going to therapy but he needs a leg brace to strengthen and increase the function in his legs. Him and his family live in a small village quite a way out from the main city, making his situation even more difficult.

Coming home to New Zealand, half way across the world, I felt like I needed to play my part in helping this loving family. They welcomed a stranger, who barely knew their language, into their home and were so selfless with the little that they had and so generous with their love.

I'm not asking for much, but even just a few dollars from you, or simply a prayer, can work wonders for this little boy. We don't need to do big things, just simple acts out of great love which can deeply impact even just one life.