“Kelvin usually loves to work hard in school, but he has not been able to write lately because of his broken hand,” shares Kelvin’s father, a man from Kenya.
Five-year-old Kelvin was playing with his friends at school when he fell from a swing and severely injured his arm. He was rushed to a medical center, where he received basic first aid and was referred to a hospital for further treatment. However, because his parents could not afford to pay for a hospital visit, Kelvin had to stay home for a week, bearing the pain.
A week later, Kelvin was finally brought to the hospital. An x-ray revealed that he had a broken radius, or forearm. The break is so serious that Kelvin needs to undergo a two-part operation in which doctors will align the fractured bones, then add a screw or other device to hold the bones in place as they heal.
Without this surgery, Kelvin may never regain normal use of his hand. However, his family cannot afford to pay for the procedure. The boy’s father works as a small-scale banana and mango farmer, and his recent harvest has not been good due to weather changes.
But we can lend them a hand. When we raise $771, we will be able to pay for Kelvin’s surgery on November 1, as well as his medications, lab tests, and four-day hospital stay.
With your help, Kelvin will soon be back to school—and to learning how to write.