Mesiaki, a 3-month-old baby boy from Tanzania, is a previous Watsi patient who was born with myelomeningocele—a condition in which the backbone and spinal canal do not close before birth. He successfully underwent myelomeningocele closure surgery in January 2016. Mesiaki is progressing very well, but he now has an inguinal hernia on his right side that requires surgical intervention. Part of Mesiaki’s intestine bulges through his lower abdominal wall, which puts him at risk for developing potentially life-threatening intestinal obstruction. “When the area swells, he seems to be in pain and cries excessively,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). For $610, Mesiaki will receive hernia repair surgery, during which doctors will return the herniated tissue to the abdominal cavity and mend the weakness in the abdominal wall. This cost includes a six week stay at the Plaster House, a rehabilitation center for children recovering from surgical procedures. “Mesiaki’s parents still need financial support because they do not have sufficient funds to cover the cost of the operation which their son needs,” shares AMHF. “My son has been doing well and I still hope he will get the right treatment and continue with normal growth,” says Mesiaki’s mother. “I will be happy to see him able to walk and later on live an independent life.”