Three-year-old Armand had a colostomy when he was two, after his parents noticed he had trouble passing stool.
“After the colostomy procedure, his parents struggled buying all the needed medication and dressings for Armand, and their finances dropped so they were not able to follow-up his treatment,” reports our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM).
Armand and his family live in the Philippines, and were referred to ICM’s medical program. He was finally able to have a pull-through operation last December to correct the damaged portion of his colon, allowing him to pass stool normally. Now, he needs a final surgery to close the existing colostomy.
ICM shares, “According to his mother, every morning when she changed Armand’s colostomy bag, he always told her that he wants to go to school someday without his colostomy. His mother said that she want to see Armand grow free from his condition and live a normal life like other kids.”
Armand’s father earns about $24 per month as a sugarcane worker, and his family can’t afford to pay for his final surgery, which costs $1,500.
“Now, that Armand is on the last part of his treatment, the closure of his colostomy, the family is happy and hopeful that they can start anew after this. They are looking forward to Armand having a brighter future ahead of him being free from the threat to his health.”