Sarah, a 10-year-old student in Kenya, was out with her mother and two siblings over the holidays and “were involved in a road traffic accident in which two people died,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), shares.
Immediately after the accident, Sarah and her family were taken to the hospital by good samaritans, and “are lucky to be alive,” AMHF says. Sarah’s right hand was fractured, and “an X-ray done confirmed the fracture and the surgeon ordered an ORIF (open reduction internal fixation) to be done.”
Right now, “Sarah is experiencing pain and inability to use the hand.” Her mother shares that Sarah “was supposed to report back to school after the holidays but now she can’t” because of her injury. Being the oldest of three children, her family has high hopes for Sarah’s education.
Sarah’s father is a casual laborer at the local open air market, and her mother cares for their children. AMHF adds that the family “lives on very little; they live from hand to mouth” and are not in a position to meet the cost of this surgery.
$1,125 covers the cost of the treatment that Sarah needs to be able to return to school with a healthy hand. Funds cover the cost of surgery supplies, meals, medicines, and post-operative care. During the procedure, doctors will go in and realign the broken bones and then fix them in place to ensure they heal properly.
AMHF shares that Sarah’s father was immensely distressed after the accident. “Please help my girl, the others are also here in the ward and I don’t know what to do.”
Despite the injuries, he still looks towards an optimistic future. “I pray that Watsi will help my daughter so that her hand can be well again to enable her continue with her studies. She is the hope of our family.”