Three-year-old Timothy lives with his parents and two siblings in a one-room rental house in Kenya. His father works part-time at a local barber shop, and his mother takes care of the children and the home.
Timothy’s parents never noticed that his testes were missing from the scrotal sac. When Timothy’s complaints of stomach pain persisted, they sought treatment for him at a local clinic and learned that he has bilateral undescended testes.
In male infants, both testes usually move down into the scrotum just prior to birth. However, in some infants, one or both testes may stop along the path to the scrotum, pausing in the abdomen or groin before continuing to the scrotum within a few months. For those infants whose testes do not descend by four months of age, surgery is required.
“We all along brushed off Timothy’s condition as a stomach pain without knowing that it was more serious,” shares Timothy’s mother.
On the advice of a friend, Timothy’s parents sought specialized treatment for him at BethanyKids at Kijabe Hospital. Doctors evaluated Timothy and recommended surgery, but the family—which relies solely on their father’s meager income from the barber shop—is unable to raise the money required for Timothy’s surgical care.
His parents were advised of the possible effects on non-treatment, including infertility, inguinal hernia, and testicular cancer. “We would love to have him treated soon, but finances are restricting us,” Timothy’s mother says. “No matter how much we try, I know I cannot raise those funds.”
For $570, Timothy will undergo surgery to move the undescended testicles into the scrotum. During the procedure—known as a double orchidopexy—a surgeon makes incisions in the scrotum or groin, detaches the testes and cords from surrounding tissues, manipulates the testes into the scrotum, and sutures them into place. Funding for Timothy also covers the costs of three days of hospital care, pain medicine, and blood tests.
Let’s help fund surgery for Timothy!
