Hats Off For Nasimiyu

One thing that is evident in my posts is that I am not a story teller, or not a good one at least. So while writing this I’m have a heated debate in my head as to whether or not I should be considerate enough to retell the story of the nine year old Kenyan girl who suffers from cancer, for the sake of readers who don’t know who she is. Oops, I have pretty much told it anyway. Her name is Rose Nasimiyu, undergoing chemotherapy treatment for her cancer, amazing, amazing girl I tell you. She was speaking with Jeff Koinange on K24′s Capital Talk about her status and how she copes with it. Okay, lucky for you uninformed readers the good people at K24 uploaded the videos on Youtube and here is part one of four parts, you can get the rest on youtube, just search for her name.

As soon as Nasimiyu’s story was aired, tweeps (people on Twitter) started tweeting about her story, it was all good. Until people started tweeting pity tweets and others started campaigns under her name- lets save Rose Nasimiyu and whatnot. This response bothered me a little. It’s like they didn’t watch the interview at all. If you are observant enough you will catch the quizzical facial expression on little Nasimiyu’s face when Jeff Koinange asks if she feels sad about having to ‘suffer’ when she is so young? And when Jeff goes ahead to tell her that there are probably countless viewers crying because of her story, she asks “why?”. To her she’s not really suffering, she is simply met with a challenge that she has to overcome! Don’t make a good thing bad by trying to make the kid believe that what she is going through is tragic, it might be but you don’t want her to feel that way! Her parents taught her different. Looking at her, I think she believes she is fine. She told her mother she’ll be fine… on air.

Rose Nasimiyu is selfless enough to go ahead and talk about other children who have cancer, clearly stating that she is better off, there are one year old’s with cancer (I don’t know how true that is, her words. Look, I’m quoting nine year old’s now). She made an appeal to the viewers and the leaders of the nation to help people like her. She didn’t say “help ME”, she said “help US”! And that is what is great about her! But most people are foolishly distracted by her courageous nature and wisdom (yes, for a nine year old I think she is wise) and put all the focus on the person and do what would be least helpful or even detrimental- feel sorry for her. Be moved, be touched, adore her, send her donations if you can but not pity. She is better than that in my opinion. And that is what we should teach all other kids- to not focus on the problem but the solution. Let’s focus on God. Lets feel and live like we are healed even when everything else reveals to us the contrary. Rose Nasimiyu is an exemplary child even to adults. We all could learn something from her, I know I have.

Rose Nasimiyu came to us with a message, let’s listen to what she has to say. My plea is that we start doing something to help, not Nasimiyu alone, but let’s help everyone like her, in every way we can. Especially those who cannot afford cancer treatment. If we believe in Nasimiyu’s story, then we shouldn’t let it all be in vain. Let’s not wake up tomorrow having forgotten what the message was.

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