He was going to be a neurosurgeon, but cancer crashed his dream..

NAIROBI, KENYA: When a pupil scores straight As in their KCSE examinations under normal circumstances that's a bright student. But when the same student scores straight As under extraordinary circumstances, that is a genius. Perminus Nyakundi is a genius.

The young man sat his KCSE exams and scored straight As in all his papers despite the fact that five months prior to the national examinations he was away from school undergoing intense chemotherapy for leukemia (blood cancer).

Despite the giants he was battling during his treatment period, he emerged the best student in Nyamira County.

Owing to his sterling performance, he has been called to study medicine at the University of Nairobi. Thereafter, he wants to branch into neurosurgery, perhaps to save other souls from horrific illnesses like his. He was set to join campus this September. But that dream has been shattered forever.

Perminus lost the battle to leukemia a few weeks ago in India while awaiting a bone marrow transplant. Listen to this. When cancer plucks such a brilliant star from the field of medicine that is brutal. But equally devastating is that, as we speak Perminus' body has been grounded in India until his family settles a medical bill amounting to Sh3 million.

Since the news broke, friends and family have been rallying support to raise the funds to bring back Perminus body back to Kenya and subsequently Kisii to his final resting place.

His elder brother Brian Nyakundi who has been with him throughout his illness till his death, shares the heart breaking story of Perminus during one of the fundraising harambees at a Nairobi venue.

"My brother Perminus was born on November 21, 1995. He was diagnosed with blood cancer in January 2011 when he was in Form Three at Nyambaria Boys High School in Nyamira County.

Before that tragic diagnosis, he was a healthy boy who was energetic and loved playing with his friends.

After the diagnosis, Perminus was admitted at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital where he was started on chemotherapy sessions. He used to attend chemotherapy sessions every month. He took this sickness in stride and fought it like a man, crippling as it was," he narrates.

The school head was understanding and allowed him a flexible schedule to juggle school and chemo sessions.
Perminus was receiving chemo until April this month when his doctor advised his mother that the only way to save the boy's life was through a bone marrow transplant. It was to be done in India.

Since his mother, a widow, could not raise the colossal amount, family and friends including a vernacular station, rallied a campaign for funds which turned out successfully.

On August 21 this year, Brian and Perminus boarded the plane heading to India where doctors were waiting for the patient.
They arrived safely on August 22, went to a guest house. The next day, Brian escorted his brother to hospital for the life changing operation that they were hoping would give Perminus a new lease of life that he had longed for.

But as fate would have it, Perminus' health deteriorated dramatically within weeks and on September 13, he lost the battle.
On the day he died, he was unsettled and kept asking his brother to get him several things.

"Pole bro nimekusumbua, usijali. (I am sorry I have been a big bother to you)," These were the last words he uttered before he was wheeled to the ICU as his body organs collapsed and his body finally gave in. And with that, his hopes of becoming a neurosurgeon are gone with the wind.

Perminus' family needs every coin to bring his body back and lay their son to rest. The mother's MPESA number is 0726374453