“Alex, a bright, class one pupil, lives with his mother and siblings at his grandparents’ home in Kenya,” shares our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF).
Alex is seven years old and was born with spina bifida—a congenital defect of the spine characterized by incomplete development of the brain, spinal cord, or meninges (the protective covering around the brain and spinal cord). “Alex has a sac-like protrusion on the lower backbone area,” explains AMHF.
Surgical intervention for spina bifida patients usually takes place immediately after birth; however, due to financial constraints, Alex’s parents were unable to seek medical intervention when Alex was a baby.
If his condition goes untreated, “Alex is likely to develop tethered cord which can lead to either the spine bending from sideways or an exaggerated curvature of the spine that results in a hunched back,” reports AMHF.
$805 will fund the spina bifida closure Alex needs to treat his condition. Doctors will close the opening on Alex’s back and repair the abnormalities in Alex’s spinal cord. Afterwards, Alex will stay in the hospital for five days and receive medication and physical therapy. This procedure will decrease Alex’s risk of developing infection and experiencing further complications from his condition.
“Although my heart is weary I will not despair. I am hopeful that Alex will get treated,” shares his mother.