Eight-year-old Samweli is a happy, talkative second grader who lives with his parents and older sibling in Tanzania. He enjoys running around with his friends and playing with his large wooden car.
“Samweli has been experiencing stomach discomfort for a long time now,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. “His appetite is low, and he is often constipated. The stomach discomfort forces him to miss school every time he wakes up feeling bad.”
Samweli has Hirschsprung disease, a congenital condition in which the colon’s regular muscle contractions are disrupted due to the absence of nerve cells that control those contractions. As a result, Samweli is unable to pass stool, leading to chronic constipation, gas, and a distended belly.
Treatment for Hirschsprung disease is surgery to bypass or remove the affected portion of the colon. Without treatment, Samweli is at risk for enterocolitis, a potentially life-threatening infection of the colon caused by the accumulation of stool in the colon and subsequent overgrowth of bacteria.
To support the family, Samweli’s mother runs a small business selling fruits and spices, and his father works as carpenter and also does some farming work. “They have spent a lot of money on their son Samweli without really getting proper treatment,” explains AMHF. “Now that their son needs immediate surgery, they do not have enough cash to cover the cost of operation.”
$975 covers the cost of Samweli’s surgery as well as five days of hospital care, lab work, imaging, medicine, and two weeks’ accommodations at The Plaster House, where he can continue his recovery. “Samweli will feel better, his stomach will get back to normal, he will regain his appetite and resume schooling,” says AMHF.
“Our son has suffered for a long time,” says Samweli’s mother. “We hope he gets better and resumes classes without having to miss school so much.”
