Bruce is a 21-year-old man who lives in Uganda. He works as a porter for a bus company in the town where he lives. In his free time, Bruce enjoys playing football and watching other matches in his town. He also enjoys listening to music on the radio and participating in youth activities at his church.
For the past month, Bruce has had an extremely painful scrotal hernia, which has kept him from working. His symptoms include swelling, difficulty passing urine, and testicular torsion, and he is unable to do the lifting and climbing required by his job.
A scrotal hernia is a protrusion of the intestines through a weak spot in the abdominal wall. In males, the weak spot is typically in the inguinal canal, where the spermatic cord enters the scrotum. The protruding intestines descend into the scrotum, presenting as a bulge that may be painful with bending, coughing, or lifting heavy objects.
Bruce has been scheduled to undergo surgery to repair his hernia on June 3. During the operation, a surgeon will push the protruding tissue back into the abdomen and sew together the weakened muscle with a synthetic mesh. Over time, muscle tissue will grow into and around the mesh to strengthen the area.
Watsi’s medical partner, The Kellerman Foundation, requests $229 to pay for the operation, five nights in the hospital, lab tests, pain medicine, and antibiotics. Bruce is contributing $7 to pay additional costs associated with his care.
“Please tell all the donors ‘thank you’ from me,” says Bruce, who hopes to return to school to study English and science. “I appreciate so much that they are helping the needy.”