Brave Juja candidate sits KCSE exams on life support machines

As over 960,000 students across the country continue to sit their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams, the drive to become a neurosurgeon for Terry Charity, a student at Kings David Junior and Secondary School in Juja, Kiambu County could not be hindered by her numerous body complications.

Brave, committed, resilient and on a mission to transform the world, Charity has been sitting the exams with an oxygen cylinder and tubes fitted to aid her breathing.

Every morning since the exams started, Charity is aided by her parents to wake up and prepare for the trials.

Unable to walk, she has been relying on a hired taxi service to transport her to and from school, located a few kilometres from their rented home at Sewage Estate opposite Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) to pursue her dreams.

According to her father Paul Njiru, Charity developed health complications at birth, preventing her from walking.

Although they enrolled her in a special school to pursue her primary school studies and produced a splendid performance, her condition limited her from joining prestigious schools where she had earned slots following her excellent grades.

She ended up joining King David Junior and Secondary School instead.

“My daughter is a lover of books and can do everything to study. She is a go-getter and despite her condition, she is ready to transit to the next stage of academic studies through thick and thin,” said Njiru.

A victim of health challenges from birth, Charity’s situation deteriorated in December last year prompting her immediate hospitalization and subsequent discharge this year.

Her weakening heart condition necessitated the continuous use of oxygen and since March this year, she has been relying on oxygen therapy and other costly treatments to stabilize her health, a situation that has placed immense financial strain on the family.

“It’s been very tough for us but we trust that God will turn her situation around,” stated Njiru.

Susan Wangu, the Kiambu Huduma Center manager is among the well-wishers who have been struggling to help the family through donations and other forms of support.

Wambui called on fellow well-wishers to step forward and help cover Charity’s medical expenses and ultimately help ease the family’s burden.

“We appeal to Kenyans to support this child because she is a lover of education and progress which is one thing that caught our eyes. The gas cylinder is refilled every three weeks and the support machines at their home consume a lot of power. The parents can only move her from one place to another using a taxi despite their meagre earnings. They surely need to be supported,” said Wangu.

Her Kiswahili teacher Rebecca Ayuma told journalists that Charity is among the best-performing students who are optimistic about posting good results despite her situation.

“In my class, she is among the best and we can only be hopeful that she will post good results once the results are out,” noted Ayuma.

Well-wishers can reach her mother Lucy Mumbi through +254727792560.

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