12-month-old Abduli is a happy baby boy from Tanzania who enjoys playing with cars and with other children his age. He has just started walking and holds onto things along his path to maintain his balance.
Abduli’s mother brought him to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), seeking treatment for clubfoot. In babies with clubfoot, the foot is twisted out of position due to short tendons in the foot and ankle.
“Abduli is using the lateral aspect of his left foot for walking, which is painful and has affected his gait,” AMHF tells us. “If not treated, Abduli will be at risk of developing osteoarthritis at a young age.”
To walk normally, Abduli needs surgery to release the tendons in his foot and ankle. Doctors then move his foot into the proper position and place it in a cast for up to two months. After the cast is removed, Abduli will wear a brace for a year or more to maintain the proper position of his foot.
Abduli’s mother sells onions and spices at an open market to support the two of them, but she does not earn enough money to pay for the surgery that he needs. With $1,160 in funding, Abduli can undergo surgery and also receive cast changes, braces, and four months of accommodations at The Plaster House, a home where children can recover after surgery.
“I will be so happy to see my boy walking like other children,” says Abduli’s mother. “I will work hard to take him to school so that later on he can live a better life.”
