Rallying global support to raise Sh230 million for Ayah’s treatment
The news about baby Ayah Lundt’s urgent need for the expensive drug to save her life has touched many people’s hearts.
It has inspired some to form a movement to ensure they meet the August deadline of amassing the required Sh270m.
“We have a group chat and meet via Zoom every week to brainstorm on strategies for our endeavours including approaching celebs, influencers and philanthropists via social media, emails,” says Edna Sangaka, a member of the group.
When Edna, a student of Math and Economics in the US, learnt about Ayah’s condition from a Kenyan media, the news touched her heart.
Though she donated cash, she felt much more needed to be done to save the baby’s life.
“I sent a message to Mama Ayah, Kathure Mithika, and asked if I could do more on Instagram.
When she said yes, I started sending messages to various celebrities on Instagram and request them to post on their wall,” she says.
She adds, “I think I can speak for all of us and say this is a full-time commitment and is not for the faint of heart.
We have other commitments in our areas of work/study. During our coffee or lunch breaks we are committed to Ayah.
We share the story in our areas of work, churches, malls, homes. We have become bolder in our quest and unafraid.”
Esther Wanjiku, a mother of two who lives Netherlands, found out about Ayah’s health from her brother who had watched it online.
She researched more on the spinal muscular atrophy and the findings drove her to help Ayah live a normal life.
“My daughter is a month older than Ayah. They sometime video chat. Seeing Ayah unable to articulate sentences as she should like my daughter because her muscle of speech is affected, makes me sad.
And it’s not just her speech, but her entire immune system is compromised. If nothing is done, she will die.
Every minute we lose by not helping her get medicine, she is losing her motor neurons, which are unrecoverable,” she says.
Esther was also moved by how difficult the whole situation has been to Ayah’s mother who has kept her faith and fought to raise the funds.
“Sometimes, the Instagram live sessions can go on for hours. It can be exhausting, especially after a long work day, but we soldier on.
I look at Kathure online pushing through and it gives us fuel to help more,” she says.
Tony Nzomo (pictured), a chef in Belgium who has been active in assisting Kenyans in diaspora in distress, also found out about Ayah online.
He admits the mother’s cry moved him so much that he began mobilising Kenyans in the diaspora and other influencers abroad and in the country to donate to the cause.
“I also reached out to media personalities on international TV stations to air the news so we could get assistance,” he narrates. It was this drive that reached CNN and the cause went global.
“Before it was aired, we had raised Sh500,000, but the funds began to rise and our phones kept ringing. In just 24 hours we had raised Sh100 million,” he says. This gave their cause validity to naysayers who felt it wasn’t real.
“There are people who would write negative comments on our posts telling the mother to get rid of her child, or saying the father has money or that he has abandoned the mother to take care of her daughter alone.
Others also said they are lying about Ayah’s condition or that the baby is bewitched.
Some don’t understand that if it as fake, Kathure wouldn’t be tirelessly raising cash for the seven months that this thing has been going on.
Also before you start a fund raiser in Denmark, one has to register it with the government,” explains Esther.
They’ve also faced other challenges in doing this. First is the celebrities who block requests sent on their inbox to save baby Ayahs life. The second is those who make pledges and don’t honour them.
“Some celebs promise that they would get on Instagram live streaming for the funds drive, but then switch off their phones.
Others pledge and get angry when we request they send their pledge” says Tony.
The group is, however, happy that many Kenyans have come out despite the economic hardships as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and have supported the cause.
“I have met many amazing people who go above and beyond for Ayah. I really appreciate them and the work that they do” says Edna.
“I also have deep admiration for Kathure, who despite all the odds that have been stacked against her still finds the strength and courage to push on for her baby.
I am not a parent, so I don’t know the extreme lengths I’d go for my baby. So many times, I’ve felt burnt out, but when I remember her and what she and her family, especially Ayah go through every day, I find the strength to keep going hard for Ayah until the end. Some real bonds and friendships that I believe will continue to flourish beyond this,” she says in conclusion.
