Mathew is a teenager from Kenya. Currently, he is not in school and herds the family cattle as part of his daily activities. He is the fourth-born in a family of nine children, and his first-born brother is the breadwinner. He does bodaboda business (motorcycle taxi) and has a pool table in the community where he charges a few shillings per game.
Mathew was born at home, and a few days later his older brother noticed that he was not passing urine properly. His parents didn’t take any action, thinking it was normal. His brother didn’t know what to do at the time because he was not old enough to take Mathew to the hospital.
Now 17 years later, Mathew’s brother decided to take him under his wing and take him to the hospital despite not being subscribed to any health insurance program. They visited several hospitals, but nothing was done. A neighbor then referred them to a nearby clinic.
Mathew was examined at the clinic and referred to BethanyKids for further review. His brother gathered some funds and managed to raise enough to bring Mathew for examination.
Mathew was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of infertility and cancer.
Fortunately, Mathew is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on December 14th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $847 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care.
Mathew’s brother says, “I want my brother to be in good health and I know that this surgery will help boost his self-esteem.”