Domnick is a baby boy from Kenya who is less than a month old. He was born with spina bifida, a birth defect where the fetus’s backbone does not close completely around the spinal cord when the baby is in the womb. This has resulted in “a leaking mass swelling on the lower backbone area,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF).
Because of his severe spina bifida, “Domnick is at a risk of infection, development of tethered cord that can lead to either scoliosis and/or kyphosis, and a loss of muscle function on his lower limbs,” AMHF adds. A tethered cord occurs when the spinal cord becomes fixed in place, causing it to stretch in potentially harmful ways as the child grows.
“This caught us off guard completely, as we had not thought he will need treatment so soon after he was born,” Domnick’s mother shares. She and her husband have already lost two other young children to measles.
Domnick’s father earns money for the family as a primary school teacher on a contract basis. However, he and his wife “spent all they had on maternity care when Domnick was born and are not able to pay for his much needed treatment,” AMHF says.
For $805, we can ensure that Domnick gets the treatment he needs. This cost will cover the spina bifida closure surgery, as well as the subsequent hospital stay and physical therapy Domnick will need to recover from the procedure. “The surgery will help prevent risk of infections, developing tethered cord and paralysis on Domnick’s legs,” AMHF adds.
