Three-month-old Lorens is the only child to his young parents. He was born with a swollen mass on the back of his neck. Due to a lack of knowledge, his parents took the situation lightly. Little did they know that the mass was spina bifida and that, if left untreated, it would lead to further complications. A friend who noticed the swelling noted that it was not normal. Unfortunately for Lorens’ parents, by this time it was a little too late; Lorens had already developed tethered spinal cord syndrome, a condition involving the fixation of tissue to the spinal cord.
Surgery is required to release the tethered cord as soon as possible, but Lorens’ parents are unable to raise the necessary funds. They did manage to fund $104 of their son’s treatment, but the little income they receive from casual employment in their neighborhood has left them in need of financial support. Lorens’ father is a casual laborer and will settle for any task, whether it is construction or transporting hand-driven carts, to meet the needs of his family. His wife is a stay-at-home mother. The family resides in a single-rental house in the suburbs.
With $1,165 in funding, Lorens will finally be able to undergo a tethered cord release, thus eliminating pain, allowing fuller range of motion, and reducing other risk factors associated with the condition. Surgery will greatly improve Lorens’ quality of life and allow him to grow up a healthy young boy.
“I wish I could do more to make my son’s life easier,” shares Lorens’ mother. “I will do any job assigned to me just to have this pain eliminated from Lorens.”
