Blessed is a five-year-old boy. He is very jovial and was born with a condition called cerebral palsy. He’s the second born in a family of three children, one of whom is his twin brother. His parents separated long ago leaving his mother solely responsible for raising the kids and earning an income. Blessed’s family lives in a small rented house in Wangige, a town roughly 30 minutes outside of Nairobi, where his mother worked. In March however, she lost her teaching job at a small private school, and now does casual jobs like ploughing farms and ferrying manure to earn a living and support her family.
In 2018, Blessed’s mother took both him and his twin brother to the doctor after developing some concerns about their health. After examination, both boys were diagnosed with a condition called cryptorchidism which causes the testes to not descend properly. After taking them to another facility in Nairobi, she was referred to our medical partner’s care center, BethanyKids Hospital for help. If left untreated, Blessed has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future.
Thanks to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, Blessed and his mother will receive the help they need. Blessed is scheduled to undergo corrective orchidopexy surgery on June 21st. Our medical partner is requesting $646 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. After treatment, Blessed will be able to grow up without having to worry about his condition worsening or developing additional problems.
Blessed’s mother says, “It is very sad for me as a parent to not be able to facilitate the treatment that my son requires.”