“Josphat is two months old and the last-born in a family of five children,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). “His family lives in a one-room rental house in the coastal region of Kenya. Josphat’s father works as a casual laborer doing odd jobs for their neighbors while his mother is a housewife.”
Josphat was born with spina bifida – an open mass swelling on his lower back. His skin is discolored around the mass and he is likely to “develop infection as well as develop tethered cord” if left untreated, says AMHF. This can lead to complications down the line, including scoliosis and kyphosis.
Josphat needs a spina bifida closure to treat the mass. The surgery will cost $805.
“My joy is to see my son grow normally as his siblings. When we leave the hospital and he old enough, I will also start working to help my husband provide for our family,” Josphat’s mother shares.