Joseph is a ten-year-old boy from Kenya. He comes from a family of three kids and was raised by a single mother, who separated from his father when he was seven years old. When Joseph is older, he aspires to be a doctor who will make a positive change in the medical field. Joseph is a young, cheerful kid, and has an identical twin brother.
However, unlike his brother, his life has been characterized by some unfortunate circumstances. In 2019, he lost his arm in an accident at a tea plantation where his mother works and underwent a traumatic right above elbow amputation.
Additionally, Joseph was recently diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Joseph has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. He had not visited a hospital or sought consultation for this condition until now. A few weeks after he and his brother were born, his mother noticed that his testicles looked different than his brother’s, but this did not cause her concern because her children were still young and had yet to grow much. When they visited our medical partner’s care center, Kijabe Hospital, in October, the doctors recommended that Joseph undergo an orchidopexy surgery to rectify the condition and prevent further adverse effects such as hernias and infertility.
However, this procedure is costly for Joseph’s family. His mother works as a casual laborer at a tea farm in their home town in Kagwe. She is the sole breadwinner for the family and her total income is not nearly enough to cover the cost of the surgery. They do not have medical insurance coverage, and live in a small single room house at the tea plantation given to them by the farm owner. Joseph and his family are appealing for financial help.
Joseph will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on November 4th. AMHF is requesting $561 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care.
Joseph’s mother shared, “Twins tend to compare everything to each other. Joseph feels different now that he also lost his arm. He needs this surgery to at least make him feel normal like his brother.”