Did you guys see this tribute doing the rounds on peoples mailboxes?
What do you think of it?



Tribute to My Dad,

Every year for the past 3 years I have began the year with an appeal to
raise money for one of my favorite causes, the end to violence against
women and children. Last year I made the decision not to host the show but
to see what the future would hold. I guess everything has a reason because
as fate would have it my Dad passed away on Saturday the 20th of January
after being ill for 3 weeks and having been admitted at the Aga Khan
Hospital ICU since the 31st of December 2006.

My dad’s total medical bill was Ksh 2,050, 000 (approx $ 30, 600) My
sisters and I have already paid Ksh 530,000 (approx $ 8,000) and are
currently looking to raise Ksh 1,650,000 to clear the medical bill and
enable us to lay my father to rest.

At first this looked like a totally daunting task and I have to admit I was
totally overwhelmed by the thought of it. But then I realized it’s only
overwhelming if we as a family don’t ask for help. So we came up with an
idea to achieve a realistic target.

If we got 160 people donate Ksh 10,000 each ($150) or get one person to
target 10 people to give them Ksh 1,000 each they could raise the 10,000
and we could actually achieve the target. The only way we can do this is
get the information out. Yesterday the 23rd of January we run an ad in the
Daily Nation announcing my Dad’s passing. Today I would like to embark on a
more personal appeal the only way I know how… to ask you my friends for
help.

As I ask you to help me do this. I would like to clarify one thing. My
father was admitted in hospital with Pneumonia and later developed
complications which were hampered by his HIV status. He had been diagnosed
as positive 2 weeks before he fell ill. The only reason we as his daughters
did not reveal this fact in the newspaper announcement was because the
family had strong objections against it. However we intend to reveal it at
his service and through the work we are going to get involved in. In this
country no one ever seems to die of HIV, they all die from a short illness
and therefore end up being statistics. I am not ashamed of my father for
his illness. I do know that despite all the information and the talk there
is still a lot of stigma surrounding the person who is diagnosed as
positive and his family are ashamed of the knowledge of it being exposed.
Some people are not comfortable with the knowledge of it being hidden from
them and it can be a determining factor when donating to a cause.

In a country where HIV/AIDS has been declared a national disaster we as his
daughters strongly believe that we are remaining part of the problem if we
don’t stand up and be counted, its time to put faces to the statistics. I
guess there is a reason I was not supposed to host the monologues this
year, I have a new cause to tackle and with it a more personal attachment
to it.

My father died a month after his diagnoses. And all that mattered to him
was that we his daughters accepted him and his positive status. This was
the man who loved me unconditionally, who brought out my love of sports,
who never missed the opportunity to tell and show how much he loved me and
how proud he was of me, whose choices taught me to make better choices for
myself, whom in my greatest time of need offered me a second chance by
donating his kidney. Most importantly, he believed in me more than I ever
believed in myself. I chose him and accepted him. He was my father and I
his baby.

He always said to me “do what you do, and do it well” and I guess that is
all we can really do… our best.

We would like to lay my father to rest on the 3rd of February 2007. If you
would like to support this cause please make a deposit to the:
Festus Irungu Medical Fund at Co –operative Bank of Kenya Ukulima Branch
A/C no 011 094091 0000.

If this is not convenient and you would like someone to personally collect
your contribution you can reach the family on
+ 25 720 044 027 or + 254 723 087 158 better still you can call me and I
will come for it myself.

Your support will be greatly appreciated. Many thanks and be blessed.

On behalf of my sisters Rose and Carole,

Kind Regards,
Lorna

is this a genuine appeal from ronah irungu or its just another hoax by someone to spoil the name of another celeb just like they did to nini some time ago?

well, genuine or fake, i do not believe that celebs of ronah's callibre would be appealing to the public for medical bills when we know them to lead different lives from us, exclusive private and public lives, they do not associate with people like us. they go to exlusive clubs which you cannot just pop in and tell the security officers that you are looking for ronah, the guys will simply ask you, "are you a member of this club?"

i am sayiong this because i know a colleague of ours in sudan (you know the way we would really betreated like celebs if people wanted... but when you hear the lifestyles we live in sudan you say... aaah no celeb can live such a life.... so our colleague was thinking since he had the money he could go to the exclusive club(s) where he knew one frined of his was.... and at the door, he is asked the annoying question by the security officers... and then he sees another celeb he knows who is a friend of his celeb lady friend... and the girl looks at him as if she has never seen him again... and the guy tries to explain that he is there to see miss so and so... will you pls take me in as the watchies wont let me enter?

the lady shamelessly tells him, you know i dont know what arrangements you had to get here, this is a celeb club and you are not a celeb!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: wanji,

There was an email doing the rounds sometimes back about Lorna and it was meant to damage her reputation.I think that this thing about her Dad being +ve could be another shot aimed at hurting her.Could this be the work of a jilted fiancé?
Some parts of the story seem to lock with the story that was in the papers but i dont see why she thought that 'revealing' his Dads status would make us dig deep into our pockets.Unless i see it in the papers, i wont buy the story that her Dad died of HIVs.it doesnt concern me what he died of but i think if 'the mail' was meant to hurt her already broken heart, then the author(jilted fiance) should be ashamed of himself/herself.

Wanji, True; these so called celebs dont connect with us yet they wish we would adore them.it would have been much more better , and yes it would potray them(celebs) as being there for each other if they would organise a show to help Lorna foot the bill. sometimes these guys bang the door at us not knowing that the door lock may 'jam' and they may need our support to help unlock the door.
pooh!!

Good people,

I certainly respect Lorna Irungu. She is one of the few so called celebs who have conducted herself with some level of decorum.This good lady has gone through hell, if what i have read about her is anything to go by.She literally came from the dead, by exhibiting a strolng spirit ,never letting go. I hate to believe that somebody would want to hurt her further.

To all the other so called celebs:

I have a strong dislike for the showy type. With all due respect, i believe they stand for nothing.
I have a few choice words for them which i hate to use in this good forum.