Eleven year old Lucky and his family live in west Malindi; a rural, arid area of Kenya where poverty rates are very high. Lucky is HIV positive, along with his mother and three siblings, however all the family stopped taking treatment. They believed they had been cursed and rejected conventional medicine in favour of traditional healers. Superstitions persist in rural Kenya with serious illness and death often blamed on witchcraft, preventing patients from seeking the care that could benefit them. Then Lucky contracted TB.
Lucky’s family 
Lucky with his father
Palliative care nurse Sophie was told about the family and started visiting Lucky regularly. She ensured he took his treatment correctly, monitored his condition and kept him comfortable with pain medication as his health deteriorated. Sophie offered comfort to Lucky when he was afraid and provided counselling to the whole family. Sadly, Lucky died two months later but Sophie continued to visit the family, supporting them through their bereavement and educating them about how to maintain their own health.
Please help us to reach out to the most disadvantaged families in need of palliative care across rural Kenya by DONATING HERE. Just £50 supports a hospice to carry out home visits to patients for a whole month, and can ensure that families are not left to cope alone.