January 20, 2016
Mercy is a six-month-old girl from Kenya. She was brought to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), by her parents and her uncle. Mercy lives in a two room house with six other siblings where her mother watches over the family at home and nearby, her father works in a tea factory.
When Mercy was born, she developed a sac-like protrusion on the lower backbone. This open defect on her spine, a condition called spina bifida, has already been hindering her normal development for the last few months. The congenital deformity is often a consequence of fetal hydrocephalus where cerebrospinal fluid adds pressure to the spinal cord. “Mercy came to the hospital with a leaking mass, so surgery must be done [promptly] to avoid severe infection and other complications,” explains AMHF. If her condition goes untreated, tethered cord syndrome is likely to develop, resulting in a permanently hunched back or a spine bent sideways.
Mercy requires $805 for a spina bifida closure surgery, in which a surgeon will correct, reconstruct, and close the deformity. Long term monitoring and braces are part of the treatment process to observe her walking ability and gauge surgery success. AMHF believes the surgery will eliminate infections, prevent more nerve damage in the future, and decrease her chances of developing tethered cord syndrome.
Mercy’s father says, “I hope Mercy will get treatment and this condition will be past us. Please help us make her treatment possible.”
Mercy is a six-month-old girl from Kenya. She was brought to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), by her paren...
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March 7, 2016
Mercy sadly and unexpectedly passed away after receiving care.
We are deeply saddened to report that after receiving spina bifida repair surgery, Mercy passed away on her way home from the hospital.
Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) explains that Mercy was rushed to the hospital five days before her anticipated surgery date when the mass on her back ruptured. “Upon assessment, doctors found that Mercy had septicemia and was put on medication to treat the infection,” AMHF shares. “Six days later, Mercy had severe anemia and fevers. She received surgery for spina bifida repair. She was in critical condition and put on oxygen. Mercy’s parents requested to take her home because of the poor prognosis that Mercy’s doctors had explained. They knew that when the oxygen therapy was stopped in order for them to leave the hospital, Mercy would not make it home alive. Mercy passed on later on their way home.”
Despite the outcome, we remain grateful Mercy was able to access the care she needed. We remain committed to transparently reporting all outcomes, even the ones we wish were different. Thank you for your support of Mercy and her family.
We are deeply saddened to report that after receiving spina bifida repair surgery, Mercy passed away on her way home from the hospital.
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