Update: Thank you to everyone who contributed to Guet's fundraiser. We have closed out donations at this time. Her disability has now been approved and she is moving forward with her life. We are raising money to assist Guet Akou in recovering following her amputation and to bridge her over financially until her disability application can be approved. Guet has lived through hardships and horrors that most of us can’t even imagine. She was born in Sudan in 1969, one of nine children. When she was 15, her fiancé bought her family a cow, some clothes, and some gold so that he could marry Guet. There was a big celebration with dancing, and Guet moved in with her new husband’s family and was very happy. In 1990, the Second Sudanese Civil War forced Guet and her husband from their village, which was burned to the ground, along with their crops. The walk took two months, and shortly after they were settled in a refugee camp, Guet gave birth to her first child, a daughter they named Monica. More violence forced them out of the refugee camp, and they were on the move for the next several years, where she and her children witnessed much violence and death. Three more children were born—a daughter, Yarr; a son, Deng; and another daughter, Victoria. Many children were orphaned in attacks on the camps, and Guet took care of as many orphans as she could, including babies. One four-day-old baby she took in was orphaned when her mother was killed by an alligator when seeking water from the river. She built a home out of wood and grass to provide shelter. Guet’s husband, a member of the Sudanese Liberation Army, was killed in 1996. Her husband’s family sought to take in the children, as was the custom. Guet felt Sudan wasn’t safe, however, and applied for refugee status through the United Nations. After several years of different refugee camps, she and her family came to the United States in 2003, settling in Rochester, New York. Eventually she resettled in Sioux Falls and worked at Smithfield Foods. She was able to buy a home on the east side of Sioux Falls for herself and her younger children. After years of fleeing violence with several children in tow, Guet was grateful for the safety and comfort of her new home. Her job involved line work, which required her to stand for long periods of time. A year or so ago, she had a knee replaced. This past winter, while crossing the street near her home, she fell on ice and seriously injured her knee. Because the joint was not completely healed, doctors at Avera McKennan could not reestablish circulation in her lower leg. Finally, the leg was amputated above the knee, and she has not been able to work since the surgery. Guet has applied for disability, but the process is notoriously long. Insurance from Smithfield will cover most of her medical expenses, but she has no income for her mortgage and living expenses. The money raised through this LFEBridge account will be used to keep her mortgage current and assist with other living expenses until her disability income is established.
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