Support Maurice's Fight Against Blindness and Cancer

Hi I’m Dianne Warn. My husband, Steve and I have been living and working in Kenya, Africa since 2005 with Agape, an organization that rescues children either from the street or from dangerous situations. That’s how we met Maurice. The first time we saw Maurice he was selling plastic bags in the open market to survive. At 12, he was already living on the street and sleeping in one of the empty stalls at night to avoid being beaten by the police. That was 2006. He was different from the other street boys, he didn’t use glue and he was hard working and polite. We felt like he was someone that could be trusted. But where was his family and why was he alone? We wouldn’t find that out until much later. There was one other thing about him, something was wrong with one of his eyes; but that seemed like the least of his worries.

Little did we all know then that it was actually a big deal.

Fast forward almost twenty years through many ups and downs, starts and stops, in and out of school, tough living situations and lots of hard work on his part.

We, along with Agape, advocated for him, making several serious attempts to get his father to take responsibility for him. For a time, Maurice even lived with a step-mother while his father was away most of the time driving a mini-bus. But when his father died, the family fell apart and Maurice was alone again, basically raising himself.

Despite all of his challenges and lack of support by any family, he managed to finish high school He continued to work all the harder to make a better future. He proved resourceful and fell back on his good business head and selling in the local market. It looked like he was making it… but his eyesight became the obstacle that he couldn’t manage.

December 2019 found him in the hospital waiting for his first cornea transplant. Fearful and scared, he reached out to find emotional support but there was no one. In Maurice’s own words, “This was my turning point. Growing up I had heard about Jesus many times, but this was different, I cried out to Him with my whole heart. Jesus became my Savior, Comforter and Guide. Since then, at every setback I turn to Him for the courage to keep on.”

James 2:17 says, “Faith without works is dead.” His suffering has given him a heart for the children in his neighborhood who are hurting. Every Saturday finds him in the Bible Club he started for them.

In the meantime, his troubles continued to multiply… One year passed. He rushed to the hospital in extreme pain. The cornea transplant had failed. It was replaced by a second one without discovering a deeper problem that was lurking.

Next, his good eye began to have the same problem. He was losing his eyesight fast. The doctors told him if he didn’t have a cornea transplant in that eye and he would go blind. By this time, he

could barely see to work for his daily bread and keep a roof over his head. Things became desperate. How could he live? How would he pay for another expensive surgery?

We connected him with the Kenya Institute for the Blind who put him a special program for his third cornea transplant. Things were looking more hopeful. He had that surgery. A few months passed peacefully then suddenly he was in extreme pain again. Was it another failed cornea transplant? Would he go blind this time? How would he survive?

Then the news came: melanoma in the eye that had the original problem. Maurice was devastated…

That is what he is still dealing with. The eye was removed and he has had radiation and a couple of surgeries since to remove more cancer. With no money or insurance, he has been unable to pay for these emergency surgeries. It’s hard for us from the US to imagine the hardship that this creates. With no welfare system to help, hospitals in Kenya hold patients hostage, while the bill mounts, until they pay. On top of everything else, Maurice has fallen victim to this.

Please help if you can.

Update directly from Maurice 2/27/25:

"Still waiting for the doctor I'll be in theatre any time from now...the infection is towards my brain.

It's costly, but even if I'll live in the hospital for not paying the bill GOD will help me in JESUS name ....

I just signed everything, they have called specialist for my operation (cancer). Total bill ksh.312,000. ($2600)

I'll not be having my phone for hours from now. Love you all...pray for me too."

That’s Maurice’s story and his need.

Until he pays, the hospital will not only NOT treat him, but they are holding his personal documents- which means that without them, he will not be able to get a job.

Normally, a patient’s family rally around them to pay, but Maurice has no one. Please consider being that family for him!

All the funds will go to pay for his much-needed treatment.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, no matter what the amount. Thank you for caring!