Five-year-old Kusemererwa is a shy, nursery school student who lives with his mother, grandmother, and three older siblings in Uganda. When he was two years old, Kusemererwa developed a small swelling in his right scrotum. Within a year, the swelling increased, and he was taken to a hospital where he was diagnosed with a hydrocele.
A hydrocele is a sac of watery fluid around one or both testicles that presents as swelling in the scrotum or groin. The fluid comes from the abdomen and travels along the same paths that the testes follow when they descend into the scrotum before or shortly after birth. Hydroceles can occur at any age, and their cause is generally unknown.
The doctor who evaluated Kusemererwa told his mother that his condition required surgery, but they should wait until he is at least five years old. Now, the swelling pains Kusemererwa, and he becomes restless. A delay in treatment would prolong his pain and discomfort.
Kusemererwa’s grandmother brought him to Holy Family Virika Hospital to seek assistance for his surgery after learning about Watsi’s program from a friend. Kusemererwa’s mother, who works as a casual laborer at a tea plantation, does not have funds to pay for her son’s surgery.
For $215, Kusemererwa will undergo hydrocele repair surgery to reduce his scrotal swelling and relieve his pain. The surgeon will make a small incision in his scrotum to remove the sac of fluid and then use stitches to close the path between the scrotum and abdomen so that no more fluid can accumulate. Funding for Kusemererwa also covers the costs of a two-week hospital stay and medicine to prevent infection.
Kusemererwa’s mother and grandmother hope to see him happy and healthy after surgery. “Kusemererwa has suffered with pain for a long time,” shares his mother. “We will have peace if he gets surgery.”
