Shalom is a nine-year-old girl who lives with her family in a single rental house in Nairobi, Kenya suburbs. Shalom’s mother sells meals in construction sites to sustain her two children, since their father left them seven years ago due to the rising demands of taking care of a sick child. Her income barely sustains her family’s basic needs.
Shalom was born healthy but three days on, her mother noted a nearly invisible lump along her lower spinal back. She sought treatment at the pediatric clinic. Since the lump was tiny, a scan was recommended and later revealed that Shalom had an open defect of the spine called spina bifida. At about one-year-old, Shalom had a surgery to correct the defect on her back. A year later, Shalom could take a few steps but something was not right with her back, it was curved. Shalom has tethered cord syndrome, a neurological disorder caused by tissue attachments that limit the movement of the spinal cord within the spinal column.
Shalom is now back in the hospital with progressive scoliosis, loss of bladder and bowel control, and paralysis on her right leg. The symptoms have increased in the last two years, forcing Shalom to leave school. Shalom cannot interact with peers as she is afraid that if they touch her back, it will hurt.
$1,165 will cover the costs of the tethered cord release surgery and care Shalom needs. This will greatly improve Shalom’s daily life, allowing her to return to school.
