Twesige, a 20-month-old boy, lives in Uganda with his parents and four siblings. Seven months ago, Twesige developed a swelling in his right scrotal area that has since been diagnosed as an inguinal hernia, or a protrusion of intestinal tissue through a weakness in the lower abdominal wall.
According to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), “Twesige’s mother is a housewife and his father is a casual laborer working in a tea plantation.” However, his mother must focus all of her attention on her son rather than on her duties at home when Twesige experiences pain from his hernia.
Twesige’s mother first took him to an herbal clinic to obtain treatment, but the medicine he was given did not help. He has a poor appetite and the swelling increases in size and hardens when he cries. “If not treated soon,” says AMHF, “Twesige could suffer intestinal blockage, or strangulation.”
Twesige’s father’s income is not enough to support the entire family and cover the procedure that Twesige requires. For $220, we can help Twesige receive hernia repair surgery to replace the herniated tissue in the abdominal cavity and seal the opening in the abdominal wall.
“After his surgery his mother hopes both she and her son will get peace,” says AMHF. “Her son will grow up with good health.”