Social Worker Finds Hope for Moses – and for Me
Posted on Nov. 18, 2009
Editor’s Note: The following article was submitted by Jenna Seal, BA, former public relations intern, who followed the Moses story long after her internship at Northwestern was finished.
As a 22-year-old public relations intern for Northwestern Health Sciences University from June 2008 to July 2009, I thought my new “adult life” was tough. I was stuck in a mountain of college loans; I was living with one roommate who would leave her toenail clippings on our coffee table, and another who had long conversations with our cat; and I often found myself eating an entire box of Oreo Cookies for dinner. Needless to say, things were looking a little bleak.
Part of my job in public relations was to write content for the University’s online publication, “Northwestern Today.” At first the stories were simple: an ice cream social here, an employee of the month there, a building construction update somewhere in the middle. But it didn’t take long before I was assigned to a story that helped me grow as a writer – and as a person.
The assignment came in August 2008 when I was introduced to Karen Cooper, a Ramsey County social worker who created the Hope for Moses Fund. My assignment was to announce that Cooper was raising money to help a little boy in need. Easy, I thought. I need to get the Who, What, Where, When, and Why and create an article.
But as a writer, there are some stories that really grab you. Stories that don’t focus on the Who and the What, but instead focus on the moral behind the story. Cooper helped me see that the Hope for Moses Fund was about much more than a fundraiser, it was about changing the life of a little boy.
That’s what Cooper did. Thanks to her tireless efforts with the Hope for Moses Fund, “Northwestern Today” readers were introduced to Moses, and captivated by the 11-year-old boy from Nigeria who was in desperate need of our help. As a physically and mentally disabled boy growing up in a “Motherless Babies Home,” he was neglected, malnourished, and feared by those around him. Cooper looked past those dire conditions, and simply saw a little boy with a magnificent smile. From that moment, Cooper was determined to better the life of that little boy. She launched a grassroots effort to raise money to bring Moses to the United States so he could receive the medical and familial attention that he deserved. “My mission in life is to help beautiful little Moses,” Cooper says. Through Cooper’s mission, she raised about $13,000 for his cause.
On October 11, 2009, nearly five years after Cooper first met Moses, that hope became a reality.
The years of hard work and countless setbacks paid off, and Cooper was finally able to welcome Moses into her home. At a welcoming ceremony in October 2009, Cooper announced, “With a smile and a giggle, his life has begun.” And the smile on Moses’ face was there to prove that his life truly had begun. I had the honor of meeting Moses, and with his smiling face looking at me, he said, “Hi Jenna.” It took Cooper five years to change Moses’ life, but it only took those two simple words for Moses to change mine.
Since arriving in the United States, Moses has started treatments and has already improved by leaps and bounds. “Moses is doing well,” says Cooper.“He is receiving speech pathology therapy; occupational therapy; chiropractic treatments; healing touch; orthopedic care; and general medical attention.He is already making progress!” Through these intense therapies, Moses is already speaking more, learning how to hug, and has gained weight.
“It is so wonderful to have him here, and to have such a wonderful team of medical professionals providing care for him,” says Cooper.
Northwestern Health Sciences University is part of the team of professionals providing services to Moses. Most of the clinicians from the Woodwinds Natural Care Center in Woodbury, Minn., have volunteered their services, including Amrit Devgun, ND, associate clinic faculty, who will donate naturopathic treatments; Michele Vincent, DC, assistant professor, who will donate chiropractic treatments; and Barb Bullentini, who will donate a session of healing touch.
"Moses is an absolute blessing to have in the clinic and an honor to treat,” says Dr. Vincent. “His gorgeous smile is contagious to those who meet him. All of his ongoing health care is progressing wonderfully and it is wonderful to see improvement in such a short time."
The hard work is not over yet, of course, but Moses has proven to be quite a fighter. He still has a lot of therapy, and most likely some surgery to come. Cooper is still accepting monetary donations, and gift cards for diapers. If you are interested in donating, check out the Hope for Moses Fund website.
Karen Cooper demonstrated very clearly that it only takes the dream of one person to bring hope to the life of a child. The Northwestern community helped make that hope come true. As his supporters continue to Hope for Moses, I think Moses will reciprocate by providing hope for us as well. I know he does for me.
I’m still drowning in my college loans, but I have learned a few things. I’ve learned not all of my roommates will be as clean as I want them to be. I’ve learned that by adding a few fruits and vegetables to my Oreo dinners, I’ll feel a lot better. I’ve learned that my life really isn’t all that tough and if I take a little time to look outside myself, I might be able to make a difference in the world.
Photo: Karen Cooper welcomed Moses with a hug. Cooper succeeded in bringing Moses to the United States after nearly five years of hard work and fundraising.