He wanted to be a neurosurgeon but cancer took away that dream

“I am humbled and very grateful for all those who have been there for me in finances, prayer, and encouragement and in any other way. I have no words to explain how grateful I am. God will bless you. There will be a fund-raiser on August 19, 2014 at 680 Hotel, Nairobi, from 5 p.m. I shall have left for treatment in India but kindly come and support me.”

That was the last Facebook post by 18-year-old Perminus Nyakundi, who died while waiting for a bone marrow transplant in India two weeks ago.

The story of a young, charismatic and ambitious young man whose life was cut short by leukaemia has featured in social media space in the past few days.

Mr Nyakundi was no ordinary young man. Despite being in and out of school since 2011, he managed to score a straight A in last year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination at Nyambaria High School, Nyamira County.

For his grade, he was selected to study neurosurgery at the University of Nairobi’s School of Medicine.

Social media has been awash with messages of condolence to his family after news of his death broke.

Once again, cancer has deprived the country of a gifted young man whose future seemed bright.

The agony of losing him was evident in Ms Miriam Sware’s voice when contacted by the Sunday Nation on Friday.

“When I escorted my son to the airport to fly to India, he looked okay and whispered to me, ‘Mum do not worry, I will come back to you’,” recalls the mother.

VERY ACTIVE AND OPTMISTIC ABOUT LIFE

She said her son was very active and was always optimistic about life. For her, this was a blow she does not understand how she will live with.

Although her son was on and off school, he was determined to pass his examination and that is why he studied even from his hospital bed.

She says her son started falling ill in 2011 when he developed flu. However, things started getting bad in early 2012; he was referred to Moi Referral Hospital, Eldoret, for further treatment.

“He quickly recovered. However, in late 2012 things got worse; at the hospital, he was diagnosed with leukaemia. He was hospitalised for the rest of the year. During that period, he would often study; he was afraid of failing his examination,” she said.

Despite being put under chemotherapy, his situation kept deteriorating by the day and doctors advised that he should undergo a bone marrow transplant in India.

“It was a difficult moment for us. We were slapped with a Sh5 million requirement for his treatment. I could not raise that kind of money by myself.

However, well-wishers chipped in and my boy managed to travel to India. Little did I know I would never hug him again,” she tearfully recalled.

Ms Sware was widowed in 2006 and has struggled to raise her two children alone.

“My first born is 22 and Perminus had just turned 18,” she says.

His friends on social media described him as a fighter who did not let sickness take away his smile. “He was a very courageous man ... very hardworking; he always wanted to change lives,” one of his friends, Simba Joseph, told the Sunday Nation.

Dr Mildred Hagembe of Moi Referral Hospital’s Department of Dermatology and Oncology was treating Mr Nyakundi before he was taken to India. She says leukaemia is prevalent among children and is usually difficult to treat for patients aged over 10 years.

On Thursday, family and friends gathered at a Nairobi hotel to fundraise in readiness for the burial that took place on Friday.

Police were forced to shoot in the air to disperse supporters of Kitutu Masaba MP Timothy Bosire and former legislator Walter Nyambati who differed at the funeral.

Mr Nyambati had accused Mr Bosire of not donating towards the funeral arrangements. As the two exchanged words, their supporters became rowdy and surged towards the podium, prompting the law enforcement officers to act. Nobody was injured.

Additional reporting by Henry Nyarora