Alejandro is a 16 year old teenager from Guatemala; he has six sisters and one older brother, who, like Alejandro, was born with club foot. In addition to the club foot, Alejandro also has a currently undiagnosed genetic condition that has caused tumors on his face and in other parts of his body.
Approximately one infant in every 1000 live births will have clubfoot, making the condition a common one. Most cases, however, are successfully treated shortly after birth with nonsurgical methods such as stretching and casting. “His parents are extremely caring and want what is best for their youngest child, but he lives in an extremely rural area in northern Guatemala, and so they cannot afford nor do they have access to the care he needs or a prosthesis of any kind,” explains our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK).
For all of Alejandro’s life, “he has never been able to walk and so his father carries him everywhere that he goes, or he crawls on his hands and knees,” says WK. Two months ago, Alejandro received surgery to correct his club foot. $1252 will help Alejandro obtain prosthesis which will enable him to walk on his own. With this new independence, the shy teenager will finally begin to have the confidence and ability to attend school and make friends in his community.
“He was born with his disability,” said Alejandro’s father, “But we were lucky that he was a good boy-he slept and ate well.” He adds, “we just want what is best for him.”