Sheilla is a beautiful little girl from Kenya, born just one month ago. She is quite still and does not cry much during her pre-operative interview. “That is her nature, she is so calm,” her mother shared.
Sheilla, the last-born in a family of two children, was born with a leaking mass swell on her lower back - a condition known as spina bifida. For the last one month, Sheilla was being treated for an infection she contracted due to the open mass and had dressing changes. They have not been able to clear their previous hospital bill but they are hoping to one day pay for it. Sheilla is now ready for a surgery. If untreated, Sheilla is at a risk of developing tethered cord which can lead to scoliosis and or kyphosis.
Sheilla’s mother sells groceries in a shed, and her father does casual tasks such as mowing lawns and farming to supplement the family income. With a menial income barely enough to sustain their basic needs, Sheilla’s parents are not able to raise the funds required for her surgical care.
Sheilla lives with her sister and parents in a one-room rental house in the Rift valley region of Kenya. A spina bifida repair is all her parents could wish for to see her finally healthy again just like her sister.
“I miss home already but I am not leaving until my dear daughter gets treated,” her mother shared.