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Success! Saitoti Lekishon from Tanzania raised $1,160 for corrective surgery to help him walk.

Saitoti Lekishon
100%
  • $1,160 raised, $0 to go
$1,160
raised
$0
to go
Fully funded
Saitoti Lekishon's treatment was fully funded on June 7, 2016.

Photo of Saitoti Lekishon post-operation

July 18, 2016

Saitoti Lekishon received successful corrective surgery.

Saitoti is progressing well with his clubfoot treatment. He will be able to walk with a normal gait when his treatment is finished, and this will change his life.

“I already see an improvement,” Saitoti’s father shared after his surgery. “This makes me very happy.”

Saitoti is progressing well with his clubfoot treatment. He will be able to walk with a normal gait when his treatment is finished, and this...

Read more
May 20, 2016

Saitoti is a four-year-old boy who lives with his parents and siblings in Tanzania. He is the fifth born of seven children to his parents, who are subsistence farmers.

Saitoti was born with congenital club feet, a condition in which his feet are twisted out of shape or position. This causes him difficulty walking long distances, and his parents worry that he will not be able to attend school with his siblings as a result.

Saitoti’s parents did not know that it was possible to seek treatment for their son’s condition, and so they never did until a pastor from their village referred them to Watsi’s medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF).

While his parents cannot afford the treatment that Saitoti requires, we can help fund the $1,160 procedure to re-position his feet. This amount includes plaster casting and surgery to straighten the feet, in addition to a four month stay at the Plaster House, a facility in Tanzania that cares for children recovering from corrective surgery.

“I would like my son to be able to walk normally,” says Saitoti’s mother. Let’s help them fund their son’s surgery so he can attend school with his siblings one day!

Saitoti is a four-year-old boy who lives with his parents and siblings in Tanzania. He is the fifth born of seven children to his parents, ...

Read more

Saitoti Lekishon's Timeline

  • May 20, 2016
    PROFILE SUBMITTED

    Saitoti Lekishon was submitted by Sarah Rejman, Rehab Surgery Project Program Director at African Mission Healthcare.

  • May 24, 2016
    TREATMENT OCCURRED

    Saitoti Lekishon received treatment at Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre (ALMC) in Tanzania. Medical partners often provide care to patients accepted by Watsi before those patients are fully funded, operating under the guarantee that the cost of care will be paid for by donors.

  • June 1, 2016
    PROFILE PUBLISHED

    Saitoti Lekishon's profile was published to start raising funds.

  • June 7, 2016
    FULLY FUNDED

    Saitoti Lekishon's treatment was fully funded.

  • July 18, 2016
    TREATMENT UPDATE

    Saitoti Lekishon's treatment was successful. Read the update.

Treatment
Clubfoot
  • Diagnosis
  • Procedure
  • Symptoms
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Cultural or regional significance

​What kinds of symptoms do patients experience before receiving treatment?

The foot is turned inward, often severely, at the ankle, and the arch of the foot is very high. Patients experience discomfort, and the affected leg may be shorter and smaller than the other.

​What is the impact on patients’ lives of living with these conditions?

These children have a difficult time walking and running. Years of trying to walk on a clubfoot will cause wounds and other skeletal problems, such as arthritis. Patients will have difficulty fitting in shoes and participating in normal play, school, and daily activities. Many Africans make their livings through manual labor, which can be difficult with an untreated clubfoot.

What cultural or regional factors affect the treatment of these conditions?

Incidence is 1/1,000 live births, or about 1,600 cases in Tanzania annually. This is roughly similar to rates in Western countries, though many cases may be missed. There is no known reason for its occurrence in this region.

  • Process
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Risks and side-effects
  • Accessibility
  • Alternatives

What does the treatment process look like?

Patients will undergo a series of small operations, casting, and manipulations during their course of treatment. Patients will stay in the Plaster House, a rehabilitation center for children in Tanzania, for as long as their recovery takes.

What is the impact of this treatment on the patient’s life?

The bones and joint will become aligned, and long-term disability will be prevented.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

Clubfoot is very treatable. The surgery is minor and not risky.

How accessible is treatment in the area? What is the typical journey like for a patient to receive care?

Care is not easily accessible. Most patients live in remote, rural areas and are identified through mobile outreach. The pediatric surgical program at Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre was started to meet the large burden of pediatric disability in the region.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

There are no alternatives. If not treated, the condition will persist and will result in disability.

Meet another patient you can support

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Boramey

Boramey is an adorable 2-year-old toddler from Cambodia. She has an older sister, who is seven and in the 1st grade, and an older brother, who is four and not in school yet. Her father works as a driver for a construction company, and her mother sells groceries at a local market. Boramey's favorite activities include playing with the other children in her neighborhood and snacking on bread. When Boramey was born, she experienced an injury called shoulder dystocia, which occurs when one or both of a baby's shoulders become stuck inside the pelvis during childbirth. As a result, the nerves responsible for providing feeling and movement in her shoulder and arm were stretched. Boramey cannot move her left arm and has no shoulder abduction or elbow or wrist flexion. She has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on her left side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand; injuries to this nerve network can result in loss of function and sensation. Our medical partner's care center is the only center in Cambodia where the treatment Boramey needs is available. On January 3rd, she will undergo a brachial plexus repair surgery. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), is requesting $709 to fund this procedure. Boramey's parents were able to gather $100 to contribute to her care. Boramey's mother said: "I hope the doctors can fix her arm so she can use it like other children and be able to go to school when she is old enough."

43% funded

43%funded
$310raised
$399to go

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Boramey

Boramey is an adorable 2-year-old toddler from Cambodia. She has an older sister, who is seven and in the 1st grade, and an older brother, who is four and not in school yet. Her father works as a driver for a construction company, and her mother sells groceries at a local market. Boramey's favorite activities include playing with the other children in her neighborhood and snacking on bread. When Boramey was born, she experienced an injury called shoulder dystocia, which occurs when one or both of a baby's shoulders become stuck inside the pelvis during childbirth. As a result, the nerves responsible for providing feeling and movement in her shoulder and arm were stretched. Boramey cannot move her left arm and has no shoulder abduction or elbow or wrist flexion. She has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on her left side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand; injuries to this nerve network can result in loss of function and sensation. Our medical partner's care center is the only center in Cambodia where the treatment Boramey needs is available. On January 3rd, she will undergo a brachial plexus repair surgery. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), is requesting $709 to fund this procedure. Boramey's parents were able to gather $100 to contribute to her care. Boramey's mother said: "I hope the doctors can fix her arm so she can use it like other children and be able to go to school when she is old enough."

43% funded

43%funded
$310raised
$399to go