Three weeks ago today, Mom and I were yet again waiting for our pancakes at a booth in IHOP. I expected it to be a pretty casual morning, but it quickly turned into one of the hardest conversations I’ve had in a while:
“It’s only getting worse,” she said. “He’s experiencing rapid heart rate, extreme dizziness, weakness in the legs, and he’s having some trouble controlling his bladder. His organs are becoming more and more crowded.”
“What will happen if he doesn’t get the surgery?”
“That’s the worst part. Because of the compression, he’ll eventually die.”
The Story
(Christian Kolleh)
Christian Kolleh is an only child. At 18 months, he unfortunately contracted Tuberculosis—a disease still rampant throughout modern-day Africa. Like 25% of the population of Ghana, he was unsuccessfully treated. But unlike roughly 99.9944%, Christian’s case of infection has spread to the spine (Pott’s disease), creating abscesses which gradually crush it and thereby compress the organs underneath.
It’s Christian’s dream to “be tall like his friends.” At 12 years old, he stands at just 4’5”.
After his mother was unable to care for him, Christian lived with his father, Joseph, in Ghana. Sadly, Joseph was diagnosed with melanoma, and doctors revealed he had only weeks to live. Joseph loved the Lord deeply and stood firm in Christ’s healing power until the end. That was over ten years ago.
Christian now lives with his seventy-year-old stepmother, Sharon Kolleh. Born in the U.S., Sharon met Joseph on the mission field, and the two quickly fell in love and married. Once Sharon realized the severity of Christian’s situation, she decided to go back to Texas in hopes of making enough money to immigrate the two and get Christian the surgery he desperately needs. With Joseph’s diagnosis, she managed to return to Ghana just weeks before he passed.
(left: Christian and Joseph, right: Sharon and Joseph after his diagnosis)
If Joseph were still alive, Sharon could have returned to her career and family in the United States. However, because Christian was never legally adopted, she cannot bring him back to the U.S. or authorize medical procedures until the adoption is finalized. Instead, Sharon has remained with Christian and has faithfully continued to provide for him over the past 2 years.
Our family came into contact with Sharon and Christian while she was still in Texas. Back in 2018, Mom and Dad headed the digital prayer board at a Texas-based ministry we were actively involved in. We’ve followed along Christian’s journey ever since.
The Reality
Throughout this journey, Sharon and Christian have endured profound loss, relentless financial instability, and the daily strain of Christian’s declining health.
If Sharon is unable to complete the adoption process, Christian will become a ward of Ghana, where over half of children are physically abused and have no assigned caseworker from the Department of Social Welfare, 40% are stunted due to malnutrition, and nearly 70% of residential homes operate illegally. Even worse, Christian could be sold into the ever-prevalent child labor or sex trafficking industries. Because of his condition, Christian would be an easy target.
If Christian does not get the specialized surgery that he needs (cleaning out the pockets of infection in his spine and implanting a steel rod), he will eventually die of suffocation, a heart attack, or sepsis—all while slowly becoming paralyzed.
Fortunately, Christian lives near Ghana’s 60-bed FOCOS Hospital, established by Dr. Boachie-Adjei after leaving his career in New York to provide affordable local care. FOCOS specializes in state-of-the-art technology for spinal decompression, and is an affiliate of the #1 orthopedic hospital in the United States.
(FOCOS Hospital, Accra, Ghana)
With your help, it is our goal to get Christian the surgery he needs at FOCOS before it is too late. While Christian does qualify for sponsorship, no sponsors have stepped forward, and every day matters.
Moving Forward
God’s protection and provision have been evident throughout Christian and Sharon’s journey. From surviving a violent bus attack (and receiving an anonymous donation to complete their travel) to the recovery of a lost wallet, God’s faithfulness has sustained them. These moments are clear reminders to us that we’re part of a bigger story—one we would love you to join.
Mom, Dad, and I are so grateful that the Lord has called us to provide for our family in Ghana. Through social media awareness, charitable donations, and supplemental work, we have raised nearly $13,000 over the past 15 months toward helping Christian. But this has primarily gone towards securing an adoption lawyer, providing safer living conditions, and the cost of transportation—all prerequisites to the cost of Christian’s adoption and surgery.
With just two faithful donors, we simply can’t help Christian and Sharon beyond this point. And though we’ve tried our best, we truly need your help.
Right now, this is the roadmap to Christian’s future recovery:
To finish the adoption process:
Travel expenses:
Transportation to and from Liberia - $2,100
Taxis within Liberia ~9-10 months - $1,500
Housing in Liberia:
Sharon must live there for at least three months to become eligible for adoption, though housing is rarely available to rent for periods shorter than 9 months at a time - $1,050 minimum (@ $350 per month)
Support for general well-being:
Sharon and Christian are relying entirely on Sharon’s Social Security check and donations. Additional for approximately 3 months - $750 (@ $250 per month)
Completion of adoption:
$900 (fee to lawyer)
To provide Christian’s life-saving surgery:
assuming no complications and minimal post-op, $39,000
Total: $45,300
To keep things transparent, we had hoped to become a 501(c)(3) through a sponsoring house church, but when the coverage we were told would be provided did not come through, that path was no longer available. At this time, we are not backed by an organization or denomination. We know that there are many fraudulent “charities” out there. Because of this, we always encourage donors to reach out to us personally at jjkepka@gmail.com. The most direct way to send money to Christian and Sharon is through our GiveSendGo. We have set an initial goal of $10,000 to facilitate Christian’s adoption and address any associated expenses along the way. Because we personally cover any operational costs of this fundraiser, 100% of your contribution goes directly to supporting Christian and Sharon’s needs.
We are committed to sharing ongoing updates regarding Christian and Sharon’s progress. We invite you to follow our journey on these platforms or subscribe to our newsletter.
If you are unable to give, we would be deeply grateful if you would pray for Christian and Sharon, and share their story with others who may be able to help. Every donation, every connection, and every prayer truly makes a difference. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Mason Kepka
John 15:13, ESV
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
