Jane is a 12-year-old girl from Kenya, the third born child in a family of five children. Jane was born healthy, but when she began walking, her mother noticed that her spine appeared bent. She was diagnosed with scoliosis, a condition characterized by an abnormal sideways curvature of the spine.
Despite the challenges she faces with mobility, Jane remains optimistic and looks forward to receiving treatment so that she can return to school and catch up with her studies. Her mother is not formally unemployed and, due to the responsibility of caring for her other children, Jane was accompanied to the hospital by her aunt.
Her aunt explains, “My sister is a single mother struggling to raise her children in a rented house, and caring for a child with a disability has not been easy.” Recognizing the difficulties her sister faces in balancing household responsibilities and frequent hospital visits, she volunteered to accompany Jane for treatment.
Jane’s condition has significantly affected her education. Frequent hospital visits have caused her to fall behind in her studies, and the physical limitations resulting from her condition have made it difficult for her to participate in games and other physical activities at school.
Although her aunt is not familiar with all the hospitals where Jane previously sought treatment, she knows that the family had visited several healthcare facilities in search of help. Jane’s mother eventually learned about our medical partner, AIC CURE Hospital, through a friend. For the past month, Jane has been at the hospital undergoing Halo-pelvic traction, a specialized orthopedic procedure used to correct severe and rigid spinal deformities. Physicians at AIC Cure International Hospital determined that Jane should undergo a procedure called a spinal fusion. This surgery fuses two or more unstable vertebrae together to reinforce the back structure with the goal of reducing pain and easing symptoms.
Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. The treatment is scheduled to take place on June 3rd and, once completed, it will hopefully improve Jane’s quality of life.
Jane’s aunt says: “I wouldn’t wish for my niece’s future to be affected by her condition. That is why we are here, so that she can live a normal, healthy life.”