Jimmy is a seven-year-old boy from Guatemala, and the third of four children in his family.
“He studies in a special school due to his learning disabilities—he’s currently in kindergarten,” says our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). “He loves to be involved in the school’s extracurricular activities and games.”
Jimmy currently lives with chronic tonsillitis. “His inability to sleep at night due to his sleep apnea is caused by his enlarged adenoids and tonsils,” explains WK. “He will go to sleep at 8:30 pm, wake up multiple times due to his apnea, and never be able to sleep past 5:00 am.”
According to WK, Jimmy also has shown signs of developmental delays.
“Not only does he have trouble learning,” says WK, “but he frequently has painful ear infections that often drain infected material, leaving his mother worried about sending him to school.”
Jimmy has been waiting to receive surgery on his tonsils for over 6 months, as the Guatemalan healthcare system often requires a patient to make many visits before they are put on the list to receive care.
For $592, Jimmy will undergo a tonsillectomy to remove his tonsils and adenoids. The procedure will eliminate his chronic infections and allow him to sleep better at night. “This surgery is simple and safe, and we believe it is just what Jimmy needs to get back on track,” says WK.
“I hope that my son can value himself as a person,” says Jimmy’s mother. “One day I will not be there for him, and I hope that he can thrive on his own.”
