Swinney is a five-month-old baby girl who lives with her young parents and grandparents in a mud-wall house in Kenya.
Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us that her “parents work hard in their little farm, and grow various crops to support their young family and their aged and ailing parents.” However, their “seasonal income is not sufficient to sustain the entire family,” so Swinney’s father also works on construction sites to supplement their earnings.
Swinney was born with a condition called spina bifida, where there is incomplete closing of her backbone and membranes around the spinal cord. This has resulted in a cystic mass on her lower back, and if not properly treated may cause infection, malformation of the spinal cord, and loss of lower limb muscle function.
According to AMHF, “due to lack of funds her parents have been unable to secure medical care for her,” and instead have turned to traditional herbalists for less expensive treatment. Unfortunately, these remedies have not been successful. “It has been tough battle but I believe we will get through,” says Swinney’s mother, “My prayer is that Swinney gets treated.”
With $805, Swinney will undergo an operation to close the opening in her spine. This will significantly lower her risk of developing an infection, tethered cord, and paralysis of her lower limbs, and allow her to have a happy and healthy childhood.
