The Kui Wagura Award was created in the spring of 2007 to honor a young lady from Kenya. Our paths crossed when the Beachy's were at Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis with their son Nathan who was scheduled for heart surgery. They were there for almost a week but were only able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House for one night. Residents there share refrigerator space and they noticed their neighbor certainly had a healthy diet as evidenced by all the fresh vegetables and fruits in the refrigerator. 

  They soon met Kui's mom, Grace, who was staying at the Ronald McDonald House while Kui was receiving treatment for Leukemia. After Kui was diagnosed in Kenya the Waguras realized she would receive better treatment in the United States. In March 2006 they traveled to Texas where one of their older daughters was attending college. However, since finances were tight, they couldn't find anyone willing to treat Kui.

   They made a connection with a Kenyan doctor who helped them get admitted to Riley. While the rest of the family stayed in Kenya, including her father, Grace and Kui moved to Indianapolis.

  When the Beachy's met the Waguras Kui had recently finished a round of her treatments and was doing well. Kui's smile was infectious and her spirits were high. The Beachy's soon left the hospital and the Waguras remained at Riley for additional treatments and Kui's prognosis looked very good. But following her final treatment in October she contracted an infection that attacked several areas of her body including her brain leaving her partially paralyzed and unable to communicate. Her doctors put her in an induced coma, but since her body was already weak from the chemotherapy there was little they could do to fight this new infection.

   Now the prognosis was dramatically different - the doctors were not expecting a significant recovery for her. However, over the period of the next few months Kui did regain some functionality and was able to communicate - both of which the doctors had be very pessimistic about. The Wildcats were returning from a tournament in Cincinnati in February, 2007, and many of them decided to pay the Waguras a surprise visit. We weren't expecting to be able to see Kui because of her weakened condition but we were happy to learn she was stable enough for the team to meet her. In addition to six of Kui's family members now living in the tiny apartment, we added about 12 more people in their living room!

   To our surprise it was also near Kui's birthday so we were able to celebrate with her. Grace was a wonderful host and had prepared a traditional Kenyan meal for all of us to sample. Her husband Joseph had recently been able to travel to Indianapolis to be with his family. As a school teacher he was able to tell some wonderful stories about Kenya to the team. What we thought would be a short stop turned out to last more than an hour. We were truly blessed by the opportunity to meet everyone in this wonderful family.

   In October, 2007, a little more than 18 months after coming to the United States, Kui lost her battle with complications brought on by her cancer. The Waguras sustaining faith and courage during this time was a blessing and witness to us all. To honor and recognize them we decided to present the Kui Award at the end of each season. The plaque simply reads:

Kui Wagura Award

Recognizing the true spirit of sport - determination, strength, integrity, dedication and selflessness

Living out faith and ministry at home, at church and on the court.

Then you will live a life that honors the Lord,

and you will always please Him by doing good deeds:

bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.

Colossians 1:10

Obituary

Mary Natasha Kui Wagura, 8, of Noblesville, IN, formerly of Kenya, East Africa died on October 2, 2007. Kui was born February 6, 1999 and is the daughter of Samuel Wagura Irungu and Grace W. Wagura and the sister to Ciru Susan Wagura of the Indiana Blood Center in Indianapolis, Njeri Wagura, Kare Wagura and Irungu Wagura and she is the granddaughter to Esther Wanjiru Irungu and Susan Wanjiru Wanjohi. A funeral mass is scheduled for Saturday, October 6, 2007 at 11:00 am at St. Rita Catholic Church, Indianapolis, IN. Burial will be in Washington Park North Cemetary. Memorial contributions may be made to P.O.S.T. C/O Kui Wagura, 111 West Washington Street, Hartford City, IN 47348.

 

  
Washington Park North Cemetary is located northwest of downtown Indianapolis at 2702 Kessler Blvd, Indianapolis, IN. Kui's grave is located in the Garden of St. John, lot 262, grave #1.