Tracy Update!

Hey! Its Sophie again! I know its been a while since I last wrote a blog post so I wanted to share an update on Tracy, how she’s been doing, and a visit to a special school!

Tracy had her second and third skin grafting surgeries in late October and mid-November. She healed so much over Christmas, and by mid-January she was ready to be discharged! During that time we noticed such a big change in her demeanor. Before, she often looked so sad. But as her body began to heal, so did her spirit. Leading up to her departure from Tenwek, you could tell she was so excited to finally go home after five + long months of recovery.

Tracy was discharged from the hospital on January 16th with her auntie and uncle, and she could not have looked happier. While we were sad to see her go, we were even more grateful for her recovery. Before she left, we promised we would come visit her.

We gave her a few weeks to settle back into normal life, but two weekends ago we were able to drive an hour to visit her family’s compound. The compound consists of four small cement huts; two for sleeping, one for cooking, and one that serves as a common living space. This is where her parents and grandmother used to live, and it is home to her aunties, uncles, and many cousins.

We brought soccer balls, bubbles, coloring supplies, beading materials, and nail polish with us, along with some shukas (Kenyan blankets). Many of her friends and cousins gathered to join in on the fun. Tracy proudly showed us around and even introduced us to her cow. The biggest highlight of the day was receiving a beautiful manicure from Tracy! We also had lunch together and enjoyed a beautiful day.

Visiting Tracy at her home reminded us just how far she has come and gave us so much hope for her continued recovery and journey.

Please continue to keep Tracy in your prayers as she adjusts to being back home and grows stronger each day!

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Also, a few weeks ago I got to spend the morning at Korara School of the Blind, which is about 30 minutes away from Tenwek. Korara is a boarding school for the blind and visually impaired. I went with a missionary who has a water filter ministry and some friends. The goal was to check on the water filters at the school to make sure they were doing their job, but we ended up doing a bunch of other stuff too.

There are about 50 kids at Korara. Each one is either blind, visually impaired, or has another disability. The moment our car pulled up, the kids came out and greeted us, all of them wanting to shake our hands. Surprisingly, they all moved around easily despite not being able to see well. At Korara they pair up the kids: one who can see pretty well with one who can see almost nothing. Together they guide each other around. Its honestly humbling seeing them running around together.

We met with the head of the school who informed us that in just 5 minutes we would get to share a devotion, sing a song, and say a speech about ourselves. Keep in mind that we had come with absolutely nothing prepared, but we did it! We shared a message about hope which was perfect for the situation and ended up singing “Jesus Loves Me” to a crowd of 50 kids and their teachers.

We learned how to play bell ball, which is a designed for players who are blind or visually impaired. The ball has a bells inside so players can track it by sound. We had to close our eyes to be fair and we were not very good at it. You could tell that they were definitely not impressed by our skills.

During our time at Korara, we were reminded of the unique challenges some of the students face, including those living with albinism. Across Africa, albinism has often been misunderstood. Albinism is a genetic condition that reduces melanin in the skin, hair, and eyes. Because melanin also helps with eye development, many people with albinism have low vision and light sensitivity. In Kenya, the strong sun not only affects their eyesight, but also their skin. Being so close to the equator they are significantly more prone to skin cancer.

Historically in parts of Africa, harmful myths have surrounded albinism. Thankfully awareness has been growing over the years. Schools like Korara play an important role by providing a safe, loving environment where students with albinism and visual impairments can learn, grow, and thrive.

The kids we met at Korara face challenges that I can’t even imagine, but they still laugh, play, and learn every day. I left feeling grateful, inspired, and in awe of them. Visits like this make you realize that sometimes just being there and sharing a little joy can mean a lot.

Love, Sophie