It was Benson Mbundi's dream to further his studies abroad and his hopes almost came to fruition after he was awarded a full scholarship to join a university in Texas, USA.
Reports indicated that Mbundi, who scored a C+ in his 1999 KCSE exams, successfully applied for the Electronic Diversity Visa Program (Green Card).
A month before his planned travel, Mbundi travelled upcountry in Bobasi Constituency, Kisii County, for the send-off of a relative who had passed on.
According to Mbundi's mother, her son began experiencing frequent headaches and losing and developed weak limbs.
While narrating the experience, his mother noted how the family took Mbundi to various hospitals in vain. At one point, Mbundi, whose star was about to shine, fell into a comma- a situation that worried his family.
"He started experiencing headaches before falling seriously sick," his mother stated.
Efforts by doctors to restore Mbundi's strength in his limbs, especially his legs, were futile as he became paralysed.
"If anyone is not around to move him back into the house, he can get rained on. He has really suffered," the tearful mother stated.
In a bid to salvage Mbundi's opportunity to travel to the US, the family sold their property to cater to his medical services and seek different opinions from various hospitals. This, however, did not come to be as Mbundi's situation got worse.
Staying at home on his mattress, Mbundi could not move from one place to another without assistance - his opportunity to further his studies abroad slipped away.
24 years later, Mbundi still lives with the illness - with no hopes in sight. He pleaded with Kenyans to support him buy a wheelchair.
In addition, he urged Kisii Governor Simba Arati to help his family ( in particular, his children) access education.
