Lightness is a one-year-old girl from Tanzania. She is very social and loves playing with other children her age. She is one of five family members and lives in the eastern part of the country. Her father is a security guard and her mother is a businesswoman, selling vegetables, soap, and other items at the market.
Lightness was born a healthy child. When she was about six months old, her mother noticed that Lightness was not breathing as well as she had before. She took her to the hospital, where the doctor diagnosed her with congenital pharyngeal tonsils. This means that her adenoids, the soft tissue behind the nasal cavity, are enlarged and blocking her airway. If left untreated, this condition can cause difficulty breathing and swallowing, sore throats, recurrent infections, and sleep apnea.
Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $609 to fund Lightness’s surgery. She is scheduled for her operation at our medical partner’s care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre, on October 18. After treatment, she will be able to breathe properly and engage fully in life and school moving forward.
“I will be very thankful when Lightness gets treated,” Lightness’s mother says. “I promise that she will attend school and engage in other life activities when she grows up.”