Mary is a bright eight-year-old girl in nursery school in Kenya. She was diagnosed with spina bifida at birth, a condition where the spine doesn’t fully form and leaves an opening. She had surgery early and later a shunt insertion from hydrocephalus. Children born with spina bifida are prone to decubitus and wounds resulting from too much pressure, unfortunately Mary has not been an exception. She had been doing fine until she joined school this year. As a result of sitting on the same spot for long hours, Mary developed pressure ulcers in her gluteal region and this prompted the doctors to create a colostomy to aid in passing stool. It’s been close to four months now, and the created opening has healed up. A colostomy closure is now needed. If not closed, Mary is at risk of acquiring infections at the colostomy site and scarring due to occasional leakages.
Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $619 to cover the cost of a colostomy closure for Mary. The surgery is scheduled and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably and confidently.
“I hope she will not go through what she has been again. The pressure ulcers were quite painful,” says Mary’s mother.