By Juli McGowan Boit | Published: October 4, 2013
Vyrol Otieno
2000 – 2013
Guest at Living Room: July 11 – 23, 2013
We first met thirteen year-old Otieno in an overcrowded government hospital, where he had been for several months, enduring unspeakable conditions. An untreatable type of lymphoma was robbing the life from this far-too-young boy, and we recognized he didn’t have much longer on this earth. For weeks, we persistently requested that Otieno be released from the hospital to come to Kimbilio Hospice, a place of refuge where he could live out the remainder of his life more comfortably; we were consistently met with red tape. Finally, on July 11, after months of advocating on his behalf, Otieno came to the Living Room.
Otieno’s life, it seemed, had been difficult long before he was ever diagnosed with cancer. When he was a year old, his parents passed away, leaving Otieno an orphan to be cared for by his aunt. When he got sick, though they lived far from the hospital, Otieno’s aunt stayed with him for over six months in the hospital. For nearly two weeks, Living Room had the privilege of housing, loving and caring for this sweet boy who, though lethargic, maintained his youthful curiosity for life and desire to learn. We received word from his aunt that Otieno passed away on July 31 at his home. She relayed that his final request was for us to not cry for long because he was going to heaven. Though our hearts grieve the loss of this precious young life, we trust in the same hope that Otieno relayed in his final request; one day, we will all leave the brokenness, heartache and sorrow of this world to be in the presence of Jesus, to be together again in heaven.
Otieno is worth running for
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