A one-year-old boy, who was abandoned at Obama Children’s Hospital in Kisumu, has found a new home at the Brook Centre for the Deaf and Autistic Children in Kasarani, Nairobi.
The baby, discovered on October 4 last year in the waiting bay of the outpatient department at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in critical condition, suffered from generalised chronic convulsions, and acute malnutrition.
According to Evans Oloo, an official at the facility, the child was abandoned by the mother who walked into the facility and left him there.
“When we looked at the CCTV footage, we saw how the middle-aged woman walked in and left the child there before walking away,” Oloo said.
After a thorough medical assessment at the facility, it was discovered that the infant had cerebral palsy.
While at JOOTRH for the last three months, the baby, who had been named ‘Moses’ from the Bible, received intensive medical care.
According to officials at the facility, his treatment included nutritional support, seizure management and four weekly sessions of occupational therapy.
The baby, due to the care provided at the hospital, showed significant progress, including partial head balance and the ability to feed from a cup.
However, despite his medical improvement, no family came forward to claim him.
Recognising the need for specialised care, JOOTRH management facilitated his transfer to the Brook Centre, an institution that handles children with special needs.
Timothy Liani, the director of the facility, said lack of information and resources often leads to abandonment and delayed development for children with special needs.
He emphasised the importance of support for such children to help them reach their full potential.
Eunice Gor, head of medical social work at JOOTRH, who played a pivotal role in the placement process, alongside Vick Otieno from the children’s office, urged the public to seek proper support and information rather than giving up on such children.
Gor said while abandoned children are often placed in homes, there are very few facilities in Kenya that accept children with special needs.
Currently there are no specific rescue centres for children with severe disabilities.
