“I am still in primary school while the rest of my first year classmates are now in secondary school,” Jackline says. “I had to repeat classes because of frequent illness. I pray for complete healing so that I can fully go to school and later on become a teacher.”
This is Jackline, a 13-year-old from Tanzania who’s in the sixth grade. Jackline likes history, geography, and math classes. She also enjoys playing netball with other students at school.
“Jackline has been complaining of painful and gassy stomach due to Hirschsprung’s disease,” her doctors write. Hirschsprung’s disease is a blockage of the large intestine due to improper muscle movement in the bowel. It is a congenital condition, which means it is present from birth. “Sometimes she can stay up to a week without passing stool,” they continue.
Jackline’s parents are small scale farmers who mainly grow maize and beans. They can’t pay for the procedure she needs, but for $1200 we can fund an abdominal perineal pull through and colostomy closure to help Jackline get healthy and succeed in school.