A dream interrupted: from classroom to cancer ward

Joseph Nyakan at KNH cancer ward. He is appealing for support from well-wishers to help him go for a bone marrow transplant in India /STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Sammy Guchu visits Joseph Nyakan at KNH cancer ward /STEPHEN ASTARIKO

The quiet mornings of Illeret, along the Kenya–Ethiopia border, usually mark the start of another day of hope for young people pursuing education against the odds.

But for 21-year-old Joseph Nyakan, that hope was suddenly cut short.

Nyakan, a Form 4 student at Dakabaricha Secondary School, fell seriously ill last December while at home for the holidays.

What began as extreme fatigue and body pain quickly worsened into fever, paleness, and heavy bleeding.

His condition forced him to seek medical care far from home.

He was first taken to Hawassa Hospital in Ethiopia and later transferred to Marsabit County Referral Hospital, where he lost consciousness and his life hung in the balance.

On December 2, Nyakan was found lying on a bench outside the Marsabit County Referral Hospital CEO’s office. Medical tests showed that his blood levels were dangerously low and that he urgently needed a blood transfusion.

When the hospital blood bank ran out of blood, members of his Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church stepped in.

More than 16 church members donated blood, saving his life and stabilising his condition.

Nyakan was later referred to Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, where doctors diagnosed him with acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive cancer of the blood and bone marrow.

According to haematologist Dr Leonard Ngunga, the disease requires urgent and intensive treatment.

Doctors say the best chance for a cure is a bone marrow transplant, which is not available in Kenya and can only be accessed in countries such as India.

However, the cost of treatment, travel, and care is estimated at between Sh8 million and Sh10 million—far beyond what Nyakan’s family can afford.

Nyakan comes from a humble background in Illeret.

His mother, Sieso Arkoi, supports 10 children on her own after his father, Achinya Birinasa, was left disabled following a serious accident.

The family lives in extreme poverty and has been unable to afford transport to Marsabit or Nairobi to visit Nyakan in hospital.

Church elder Joseph Kibara, who visited the family, described their situation as desperate.

Nyakan is the firstborn child and a symbol of hope in the Dassenach community, where access to education is limited.

His illness now threatens not only his life but also the future of his family.

Speaking from his hospital bed, Nyakan appealed for help.

“I appeal to church members, the government, well-wishers, and humanitarian organisations in Kenya and abroad to help me live again,” he said.

“I want to recover, continue my education, and support my family.”

His pastor, Jackson Kithinji, said saving Nyakan’s life would also help secure the future of his community.

While church members, including elders Sammy Guchu and his wife, continue to provide daily support, they say the financial burden is too heavy to bear alone.

Nyakan’s story is a reminder that while modern medicine can offer hope, access to treatment often depends on availability of funds.

Well-wishers are now being urged to help raise funds and give the young student a chance to live and pursue his dreams.

Financial support can be sent through Joseph Nyakan's number- 0111 990820