Faces
Photo sparks effort to reign in rabies in Africa A
s veterinarian Brian Darrow recalls how one photo—and prayer—led him to begin a vaccination and health-care ministry that took him to Kenya, he is reminded of what his wife told him: “You’re not driving the bus.” The photo showed the grave
of 7-year-old Sharon from Kenya, who died of rabies. Her father ran track at Iowa State University, Ames, and Dar- row saw the photo at a team reunion four years ago. Soon after the reunion, Dar-
row, a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Anamosa, Iowa, learned that if he switched vaccination sup- pliers, Merck Animal Health would send additional rabies vaccinations to Africa. So he switched. “A couple of years later I was in a searching mode,” Darrow said. “I wondered what I could do with my spiritual life that would make an impact, something that could use my veterinary skill but also have an impact on humans.”
As Darrow searched and prayed, he received an unexpected call from a public relations firm that discovered he had switched to Merck, and he was asked about his connection to Africa. He took that call as a sign and began researching rabies. The disturbing information he found was that almost all deaths related to rabies were in Africa, and that by vaccinating ani-
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Veterinarian Brian Darrow vaccinates animals in Kenya. Each day Darrow and a team would go to a different area in Kenya and within a few hours hundreds of people would arrive with dogs to be vaccinated.
mals that number would be dramatically reduced.
“I was searching, and suddenly I was put in this unique position to do some- thing,” he said.
After receiving permission from Sharon’s father, Darrow founded Sharon Live On, a foundation to reduce rabies in Kenya (
http://sharonliveon.org). Assisted by a few American friends and colleagues in Kenya, Darrow led a team in January that vaccinated almost 15,000 dogs, nearly 2,000 cats and about 300 donkeys in a few weeks, using supplies donated by Merck. Darrow said he was humbled by how appreciative the Kenyans were, including one man who invited him to his house for tea. The vaccination effort was only the beginning. While in Kenya, Dar- row learned about the challenges facing a clinic. “I asked what they needed most, and they said running water,” he said. “They said they needed another $5,000, and I said you’ll get it.” Darrow appealed to his congregation, which responded by nearly meeting that goal.
The hope is to continue working to help eradicate rabies throughout Africa and improve medical conditions, in part so anyone who does contract rabies will receive proper treatment.
Looking back at how the project seemed to fall into place, Darrow is still a bit shocked. “My wife keeps telling me I’m not driving the bus,” he said, “and she’s right.”
Jeff Favre Favre is a contributing editor of The Lutheran.
104: Percy Batey, Messiah, South Williamsport, Pa.; Anna Jensen, Lord of Love, Omaha, Neb. 102: Margarethe Johnson, Eman- uel, North Grosvenordale, Conn. 101: Ellen Kofron, Dr. Martin Luther, Brooklyn, Ohio; Jeanette Stuempfle, Messiah, South Williamsport, Pa.; Anita Weeder, St. Mark, Van Wert, Ohio. 100: Olga Asheim, Immanuel, Buxton, N.D.; Grace Borden, St. Mark, Morristown, N.J.; Evelyn Burton, St. Paul, Dixon, Ill.; Phyllis Ebert, Transfiguration, Bloomington, Minn.; Ruth Pegg, Grace, Harlingen, Texas; Astrid Sebens, Milnor, Milnor, N.D.; Lucille Sime, Trinity, Revillo, S.D.
July 2012 43
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