Saitoti is an eight-day-old infant from a family of five children in Tanzania. His father passed away last year, and his mother lives alone with the children.
Shortly after Saitoti’s birth, his mother noticed that something was wrong and took him to our medical partner’s care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. He was diagnosed with spina bifida, a defect in which the spinal cord is exposed through a gap in the backbone. If left untreated, Saitoti is at risk of acquiring infections and paralysis of the lower limbs. Fortunately, his repair surgery is scheduled for January 16.
Saitoti’s mother is currently unemployed and is therefore unable to pay for the surgery. For this reason, our medical partner is requesting $1,200 to fund the treatment.
“I hope that my child will be able to grow like other children and go to school,” Saitoti’s mother says.