i L
iNG
ROOM
A COMMUNITY OF
COMPASSION THE VISION OF KIMBILIO HOSPICE
50
Reasons to
Run
2nd Annual Kimbilio Hospice Run
Kenya’s
Great Need FOR HOSPICE CARE
Partner
with Living Room’s
Kimbilio Hospice Chepchumba is worth running for
L to R: Flovia, our first patient, on Day 1 of care and 5 years later at her Kindergarten graduation
Meet T
Flovia Flovia is worth running for
he vision of Living Room International (LRI) is to create a community of compassion that honors life and offers hope. One way LRI is accomplishing this vision is through Kimbilio Hospice— an inpatient Palliative Care Center which accommodates up to 24 individuals at any given time.
Kimbilio Hospice, located in Chebaiywa Village, Uasin Gishu County, officially opened its doors in May 2011. What started in 2008 as an isolated situation of creating a Palliative Care Center, a home of sorts for two HIV+ orphans, gave birth to the dream of Living Room International in 2009 and, 2
Living Room 2014
specifically, Kimbilio Hospice. It is one of only two hospices in Kenya with inpatient facilities, serving both adults and children with lifethreatening illnesses. Admission to Kimbilio Hospice and length of stay is not based on race, tribe, religion, educational level, or the ability to pay—they do not determine a person’s value and will not interfere with the care provided by our team. Currently, the inpatient services of Kimbilio Hospice are free of charge. Our main goal is to achieve the best quality of life for individuals and families facing advanced disease. Since its inception, LRI has reached out to nearly 1,000 individuals in Kenya’s society, who are not only faced with life-threatening illnesses but also lack the love and care that signify human dignity.
Kimbilio Hospice The need for care
T
he rising cancer rates across Kenya, as well as the AIDS crisis, has increased the need for welldeveloped and integrated hospice services.
Access and affordability of pain medications, such as morphine, remain a major challenge in Kenya. Living Room addresses these challenges with an approach that improves the quality of life of patients facing life-threatening illnesses, through pain relief and holistic care.
According to the Kenya Hospice and Palliative Care Association (KEHPCA), Kimbilio Hospice is one of only two hospices in Kenya offering inpatient services to adults and children. It is our vision, in word and deed, to create a community of compassion that honors life and offers hope to those who need it most. The gap for quality and affordable hospice services is wide. We are reminded of this on a daily basis at Kimbilio Hospice as patients travel from all over the country in desperate need of hospice care.
Did you know? • Cancer rates in Africa are expected to grow by 400% over the next 50 years. • 80% of cancer patients in Africa have advanced incurable disease at first presentation to a health facility. • Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with lifethreatening illness (WHO).
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Kenya is known for producing the world’s fastest
runners
O
n October 4th, 2014 many of them will gather in the rural village of Kipkaren to run in celebration of World Hospice Day. The races will begin and end at Kimbilio Hospice and will honor the lives and the memory of our guests.
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Stories will be shared, photos displayed. We will laugh and rejoice. We will be silent and remember. The word Kimbilio, when literally translated, means “a place to run to.” For the sick and dying, in desperate need of care, Kimbilio Hospice has lived up to its name. And we believe it is worth running for. Will you join the team? On this Saturday morning in October, we anticipate men,
women and children to come together for the sake of community, to create awareness and to raise funds for the ongoing work of Kimbilio Hospice. And the runners, with unfathomable speed and endurance, will run. As we have prayed, dreamed and planned Kenya’s Kimbilio Hospice Run, we have imagined friends from around the world, joining us in this meaningful occasion.
Team Living Room On October 13th, 2013, the 1st Annual Kimbilio Hospice Run was held. 144 athletes arrived at Kimbilio Hospice to participate in the marathon while 75 Americans joined in international events to raise awareness and funds for the Living Room. After a grueling 26.2 miles through rugged terrain, the winners crossed the finish line. For the men, Alfred Kipsana Mondih won with a time of 2.16.00, and Agnes Jepkosgei won for the ladies with a time of 2.49.10.
Timon is
worth running for
50 Reasons to Run Kimbilio Hospice has been a place of refuge for hundreds of adults and children in need of hospice care. With this in mind, the theme of the Kimbilio Hospice Run is “A place to run to… Worth running for.” The stories presented in the following pages are of Kimbilio Hospice guests who have helped to shape the hospice, and we believe they are worth running for. We encourage you to read and share these stories. To see all 50 stories: Scan this code or go to: http://goo.gl/3c1KOG CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO MESSAGE
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Betty is
worth running for
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Catherine Saina Sitienei Chepkinyor 1953 – 2011
Guest at Living Room: September 20 – November 11, 2010 One Monday morning, Catherine came to Kimbilio Hospice in excruciating pain from advanced, untreated breast cancer. She quickly explained that she had not been able to sleep for months, and the smell of the wounds from her chest wall were keeping friends and family at a distance. Her suffering was great.
Catherine is worth running for
Immediately, Catherine was started on pain medication, and her wounds were cleaned and bandaged by
the Living Room team. Within 24 hours, she looked like a new person. Her pain was controlled, allowing her to sleep through the night. The odor from her wounds was eliminated, and all she could say was: “Kongoi, kongoi, kongoi!” which means “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Catherine, after a few days at the hospice, was able to go home pain-free and lived out the remainder of her life surrounded by the care of her family.
Enock Osoro 2008 – 2012
Guest at Living Room: September 2, 2011 – April 23, 2012
Osoro is
worth running for
Enock Osoro arrived at Living Room on the back of a motorcycle one Monday morning after his mother and he had traveled for seven hours in search of help. Osoro’s little face was grossly disfigured by a massive tumor, and after several failed attempts to get a proper diagnosis or treatment, they were instructed to go to Living Room: “a place where people are helped.” While under Living Room’s care, Osoro’s cancer was treated, and his pain and symptoms
were relieved. His playful spirit came back to life as the tumor initially responded to chemotherapy. He was dearly loved by the staff and brought much joy and laughter to all in the Living Room. Osoro was a very articulate little boy—one never had to wonder what he wanted. Several months into his chemotherapy, the tumor resurfaced and cancer spread throughout his body. The Living Room team had the painful privilege of standing with Osoro and his family until his death.
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Carolyne Mwanzi Kabendi Born: 1980
Recurring Guest at the Living Room since: February, 2010
Carolyne is
worth running for
When Carolyne first arrived to Kimbilio Hospice, she was terribly sick and near death. Her immune system was nonexistent from HIV/ AIDS, and her body was weak. Although she was only 30 years old, she could no longer walk or speak. She had already lost both of her children to AIDS, and her suffering was simply too much. All she did was scream. Carolyne was dependent upon the Living Room team for all of her basic needs, and for months, Kimbilio Hospice did all they could to provide relief for her physical, emotional, and
spiritual pain. It is hard to say what caused her screaming to one day stop. Maybe it was reprieve from the pain, acceptance that she was loved, or some sort of grace from God. Whatever the cause, Carolyne began to come back to life—with more joy and beauty than can be described. Carolyne currently lives at home with her mother and loves to sing and dance. Though her body is still broken in many ways, her spirit is very much alive. Living Room’s home-based care team continues to visit and monitor her on a routine basis.
Penina Nanyama Walikawa 1953-2013
Guest at Living Room: May 23, 2013 – October 31, 2013 “If I may have a minute of your time, I just want you to know that my sister was cared for by your staff at Kimbilio, and I was grateful that she was surrounded by compassionate, loving people and died in a clean bed.
Penina is
worth running for
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I will always be grateful to Kimbilio for providing my sister that care. God bless you all for all you do for those who need it most.”
Sincerely, Rebecca
800 kilometers E
ight hundred kilometers. That is the distance that Kelvin, an 18 year old dying of cancer, traveled to reach Kimbilio Hospice. He and his uncle did not leave their hometown of Kilifi with the intention of coming all that way. They were simply looking for help. Sadly, it took 800 kilometers on a long and hard road trip to get it. Only a few months prior, Kelvin was a healthy high school student. A small sore appeared on his cheek, and he thought it was nothing to worry about until it began to grow with such dramatic speed and size. A biopsy was eventually taken and
a diagnosis of neuroblastoma was given. Kelvin was referred to Nairobi to get treatment. Kelvin and his uncle boarded a matatu in hopes of finding relief. The tumor that had grossly disfigured Kelvin’s face was the cause of many stares but also of excruciating pain. Upon reaching the country’s largest hospital, Kelvin’s uncle explained that they waited for three days to be served. No treatment was extended. No pain medication received. Kelvin never entered a hospital bed. At the end of the third day, the uncle was told to take Kelvin back home. Kelvin’s cancer was too far advanced for treatment. Unsure of what to do next,
someone at the hospital told Kelvin and his uncle about Living Room’s Kimbilio Hospice. They explained that Kelvin would be cared for and that his pain would be relieved. Preparations were made for Kelvin to come to Kimbilio Hospice. Once more, Kelvin and his uncle traveled by public transportation, a trip that took them 10 hours to reach Kimbilio Hospice. Immediately upon arriving, Kelvin was started on morphine for his pain. His fears were listened to. He was given a bed. At last, he had found a respite for his weary body and soul. Kelvin spent his final days with us at Living Room. There are too many stories like Kelvin within this country. Kimbilio Hospice exists to be a refuge for them.
Kelvin is
worth running for
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Margaret Chepkoech Kemboi 1974 – 2013
Guest at Living Room: October 29, 2012 – September 27, 2013
Margaret is
worth running for Written by Juli Boit, International Director, Living Room
Our beloved Maggie was a wife and a mother of five young children who fiercely fought a battle with cancer. Maggie became one of the Living Room family, and her leaving us still feels fresh and raw. Cancer did to Maggie what it seems to do best—it slowly overtook her strength, her independence and eventually her life. It created questions about suffering and raised fears about what would become of her little ones. Cancer stole and destroyed all it could, but I thank God that there are certain things cancer did not take away. It did not leave Maggie alone. She was surrounded and lovingly cared for by the Living Room team—physically, emotionally and spiritually. It could not touch Maggie’s radiant smile. Until the day she died, Maggie had the most beautiful smile. It did not take away Maggie’s love and ruthless commitment to her children—Collins, Kelvin, Naumi, Mischelle, and Hiemun. 10
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Her one request, as she was preparing to leave this world, was that we ensure her kids be taken care of. And cancer could not separate Maggie from the loving presence of God. Her faith and hope seemed to only grow as she approached her final breath. Shortly before Maggie passed away, she called for me to come and see
her. As I stood over her emaciated body, we embraced. She held onto me with her only remaining arm, and our tears fell and mixed together. Words were few, but they were sacred. I told her that we loved her and would not forget her children, and she mostly spoke of God and His presence that felt so near to her.
R: Maggie Below: Maggie’s children visiting their mother for the last time at Kimbilio Hospice.
“The ‘hands on’ aspect of caregivers is an essential element of the Living Room team. The caregivers have established a work ethic that values empathy, reliability, respect and accountability. It is their hands, their words, their listening that so often restores dignity and honors the lives of the guests. It is their humble acts of love and service that make way for some to come back to life and for others the grace to die peacefully.” Daniel Morogo, Social Worker, Living Room
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Partner with Kimbilio Hospice
PRAY for those in the community who will be impacted by our care.
EXPERIENCE
SHARE the vision and give others the opportunity to be a part of our community of compassion and hope.
the work first hand by scheduling a visit to Kimbilio Hospice.
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GIVE a gift of any size
which helps change lives through Living Room International. It costs KSh1500 to provide a day of complete care for a patient at Kimbilio Hospice.
Donations can be made to the account of: Living Room International Equity Bank—Eldoret Market Branch A/C 1090260746452
JOIN Team Living
Room and participate in the Kimbilio Hospice Run. Involve your family, church or corporation. There are opportunities for corporate sponsorship.
Contact Information:
Living Room International P.O. Box 4053-30100 Eldoret PHONE: 0720719571 EMAIL: infokenya@livingroominternational.org www.LivingRoomInternational.org