“I really am saddened by Angel’s condition. My greatest prayer is that she gets treated soon,” says the mother of Angel, a three-month-old baby girl who lives with her parents and two older siblings in Kenya.
Angel was born with spina bifida, a condition characterized by the incomplete closure of the backbone and membranes around the spinal cord.
Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us, “Angel has a mass swelling on her lower back. She is at risk of developing tethered cord syndrome that can lead to either scoliosis and or kyphosis and getting severe infections on the exposed nerves. She may possibly lose muscle function in the lower limbs if not treated.”
Angel’s parents are laborers who some days cannot find work. The money that they do earn is not enough to pay for rent, food, and school fees for the older children. Given their financial situation, they cannot afford medical care for Angel.
With $805 in funding, Angel can undergo a surgical procedure known as spina bifida closure. Doctors place the spinal cord and nerves back inside the backbone and cover them with membranes before closing the opening on Angel’s back. Funding for Angel’s treatment also includes a five-day hospital stay and three days of physical therapy.
“Angel’s treatment will reduce the risk of infections, development of tethered cord, and loss of muscle function in her legs,” says AMHF.
Let’s help fund surgery for Angel!
