A 12-year-old British boy has been hailed by the Foreign Office for his compassion after attempting to admit a sick chicken to an Ethiopian hospital. The extraordinary incident unfolded in Addis Ababa, where the boy, whose name has been withheld for legal reasons, insisted the chicken needed urgent medical care.
According to eyewitnesses, the boy approached the front desk of the Black Lion Hospital with the bird cradled in his arms. He demanded that the chicken be seen by a doctor, arguing that it had not eaten for two days and had a limp. The receptionist, unsure how to respond, called hospital security.
Doctors who examined the chicken confirmed it was suffering from a respiratory infection and dehydration. They treated it with antibiotics and fluids, but the bill came to $150, which the boy reportedly tried to pay with pocket money. The hospital eventually waived the fee after a call from the British embassy.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We commend the boy's extraordinary sense of empathy. While our guidance advises against bringing animals into medical facilities, we recognise his actions were motivated entirely by kindness."
The boy's father, a British businessman based in Addis Ababa, told reporters: "He's always been like this. Last month he tried to take a stray dog to the dentist."
The chicken, now recovering, has been named 'Lucky' by hospital staff. The boy has visited twice to check on its progress.
Sources confirm the boy is a British citizen and a student at the International School of Addis Ababa. He has reportedly expressed a desire to become a veterinarian despite his parents' hopes for a career in finance.
The story has drawn international attention, with some calling for the boy to receive a humanitarian award. Others, however, have questioned the precedent of allowing animals into hospitals. A spokesperson for the Ethiopian Ministry of Health said: "Our hospitals are for humans. But in this case, an exception was made."
This reporter uncovered documents showing the hospital's insurance policy does not cover avian patients. A memo from the hospital's legal department warned that treating the chicken could constitute a breach of medical protocol. However, the hospital's director overruled the objection, stating: "Sometimes rules can be bent for a child's innocent heart."
The Foreign Office has not indicated whether any official policy review will follow. A senior official said: "The boy's actions, while unusual, reflect the best of British values: compassion and determination."
As for the chicken, it is expected to make a full recovery and may be returned to the boy's family farm, where it lives with six other chickens. The boy has asked that Lucky be given a room of its own.
