The Privileges of Privilege

Have you ever thought about what daily experiences you have that are actually a privilege but they happen so routinely that you’ve become accustomed to living in privilege without even realizing it?  Most of us rarely, if ever, stop to think about it, but it’s both humbling and important to reflect on those blessings and ensure we never take them for granted.

Recently on a trip to Kenya the team got to meet and spend the day with a remarkable eight year old boy named Gerald. Gerald attends a special school in a very rural part of Kenya. The majority of the students at his school are Deaf and the teachers and students use Kenyan Sign Language, or KSL, as the primary language. Gerald however has passed his hearing screenings, yet is unable to speak. The doctors are unsure why he cannot speak yet or if he will ever be able to speak, but his mother was able to express in person to the team that she is so thankful that he has access to language and community connection at his school. In this space, his differences don’t isolate him and don’t make him an outlier, instead he is equally valued and appreciated for the uniqueness he brings to the group. 

Gerald and most of the deaf students live at the school during the week because their homes are too far away to travel to school on a daily basis. Gerald’s home is two hours away from the school by motorbike on very bumpy, often washed out, roads. When the Deaf Child Hope (DCH) team visited Gerald’s school in the middle of the week, the students and staff were standing eagerly on the cement porch of the school with big smiles and waves. Some of them ran to the van as it parked and embraced the new visitors as they emerged from the hot van.

The group was quite surprised to find that Gerald’s mother was at the school patiently waiting her turn to shake hands and hug the visitors. She had taken the day off to travel four hours round-trip by motorbike because she had something very important to share with the visitors. 

After the crowd thinned, she was able to quietly express her message:

“Thank you for helping to save my son’s life!”

Late last year, Gerald was hospitalized with severe abdominal pain and significant blood loss. Doctors were unable to find the root cause of his issues but they were able to address the immediate symptoms and get him out of critical condition.  The medications, hospital stay, blood work and imaging they did would not have been financially attainable for the family without funds provided by Deaf Child Hope’s Marisol Memorial Medical Care Fund (MMMCF).

 

 

 

 

 

The MMMCF provides emergency or critical care funding to Deaf children at our partner locations world wide. Gerald is just one of many Deaf children whose lives have been impacted by this fund, and he won’t be the last. The MMMCF is entirely donor-funded, and we are incredibly thankful for the generosity that sustains it.

Gerald’s health journey continues as his mom works with doctors to find a diagnosis. They have to travel a long way for every doctor’s appointment and resources are very limited. 

Gerald’s story is a powerful reminder:
Accessible healthcare is a privilege.
Reliable transportation to appointments is a privilege.
Being able to fill your gas tank without choosing between that and putting food on the table is a privilege.

If you don’t have to think about those things or worry about them then chances are you live in some state of privilege and God has blessed you. 

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”     – Philippians 4:19

How can you share your blessings with others today? 

If you are interested in donating to the Marisol Medical Care Fund to provide medical care for Deaf children in poverty, please click here:  Donate To MMCF   Under “Purpose” choose “Marisol Medical Care Fund”

*photos: Gerald, Gerald and his mother, Gerald and his mother walking with DCH staff Katie Rivera, Gerald getting ready for an interview, Gerald and his mother during an interview with DCH staff Katie Rivera.