This smiling boy is John, a four-year-old from Kenya. At birth he was very healthy, but one year later John’s mother noticed swelling in his groin region.
Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), shares, “John’s mother sought answers at the nearest hospital, where she learned her son had an inguinal hernia. It could be treated, although not at that centre.” An inguinal hernia is an abnormal bulge in the groin area; it develops when a portion of the intestine pushes through a weak spot in the abdominal muscle wall.
The pain caused by an inguinal hernia worsens with certain activities, like bending or lifting. John’s mother says, “John cries a lot especially when he is passing urine and this condition has been there for a while now.” AMHF notes, “if John is not treated, the hernia can lead to blood supply blockage to tissues, resulting in tissue death.”
John’s parents own a small food shop that brings in just enough money for their day-to-day needs. They cannot afford the surgery John needs to get healthy.
“They only want what’s best for their son, and hope that he will get well soon,” reports AMHF.
$430 will fund the hernia repair surgery that John needs. His protruding intestines will be returned to the abdominal cavity and the weak spot in his muscle wall will be strengthened with stitches. Funding will also cover laboratory testing, medication, and a two-day hospital stay. AMHF expects that the operation will relieve John’s pain and improve his quality of life.
“I am in deep distress to see my son like this,” says John’s mother, “I pray that he gets treated soon.”