Jeremia is a nine-month-old baby boy from the Ngorongoro district in Tanzania. He lives with his mother and over 20 family members in a boma, a type of family-based communal living space where the community provides for each other’s basic needs. Jeremia’s father works in the production and sale of sandals in the city and sends money to his family. He has been away from home for over a year.
Jeremia was born with a birth condition wherein his right leg and foot is twisted inward and downward. After Jeremia’s birth, his mother had little to no understanding of this condition, and she has since lived with concerns about her son’s future.
Our medical partner visited Ngorongoro earlier this year to hold outreach clinics. Jeremia’s mother attended one of these medical clinics and received education about her son’s condition. She was relieved to hear that treatment options were available to help her son. Jeremia’s mother appealed to her church to arrange for transportation to African Mission Healthcare’s (AMH) care center in Arusha.
Doctors diagnosed Jeremia with clubfoot, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. The medical team will begin clubfoot repair treatment for Jeremia on June 9th. After treatment and as he grows, he will be able to walk more easily, run, and play like any other children. Now, AMH is requesting $935 to fund Jeremia’s treatment.
Jeremia’s mother says, “I am happy that there is a possibility of treatment. I hope that all will go well and my son will be fine.”
