By Krys Estes
Contributing Writer
From half a world away, three year old Daniel Kuhani understood the laughter and clapping he heard as he played with a group of local children at Wrightsville Beach park on Sunday night.
The toddler from Kenya was in the United States for a life changing cochlear implant, giving him the opportunity to hear for the first time this June. Daniel’s operation in Indianapolis was partly due to the fundraising of local middle schooler Jack Ellison, who has raised $4,000 so far for the Amani Children’s Foundation that organized the trip.
On Sunday, Daniel and Jack had an opportunity to meet, where they played with a soccer ball, went down the slide and marveled watching other children play.
“This experience has been really awesome,” 11-year-old Jack said. “This first time meeting Daniel was really sweet, everyone started tearing up and he is just a really great little kid and the most adorable person.”
Daniel lives at the New Life Home, a Kenyan orphanage, and was born completely deaf in both ears. His caretaker with New Life Home, Yvonne Muthiani, said when he heard for the first time, he cried and didn’t understand what was happening. He is slowly learning how to simply hear and maintain his balance with walking.
“His name means ‘He who gives comfort,’ said Jane Stephens, Amani Children’s Foundation founder. The Winston-Salem foundation partners with New Life Home in Nairobi, Kenya, which provides care and services for children until adopted by a Kenyan family
Daniel’s gift was made possible with the help of Julia Tarquinio, a fifth grade teacher at Friends School of Wilmington,who helped inspire Jack to pursue the fundraising effort.
“Every week before Labor Day weekend, I assign my students the simple task of going out into their world and performing a good deed,” Tarquinio said. “Last school year Jack, decided to take his spending money and donate to the Amani Children’s Foundation. A couple weeks after Jack sent his money, he received a letter from Jane. That is when my class and I learned about Daniel.”
Ellison said the fundraising started by hanging up an envelope in his classroom and each week would collect the funds, sending them straight to the foundation.
“I have experienced what being a teacher is really all about-making a difference,” Tarquinio said. “It can start with one person, one thing, one event, one idea, one sentence, one word, one thought, but nothing truly astonishing or earth shatteringly crazy awesome ever happens by the doing of just one single person. We all had a part in this.”
Jack’s GoFundMe page is still active to help support more children like Daniel. Visit https://www.gofundme.com/9267qqhc to donate.
