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Success! Jonas from Tanzania raised $1,160 for corrective surgery to treat his clubfoot.

Jonas
100%
  • $1,160 raised, $0 to go
$1,160
raised
$0
to go
Fully funded
Jonas's treatment was fully funded on June 5, 2016.

Photo of Jonas post-operation

July 1, 2016

Jonas underwent corrective surgery to treat his clubfoot.

Jonas is progressing well with his treatment for his club foot. After two castings, there is already an improvement in the shape of the foot. It is expected that Jonas will be able to walk very well once the treatment is completed.

“I am very grateful for this assistance for my son,” Jonas’ mother shared.

Jonas is progressing well with his treatment for his club foot. After two castings, there is already an improvement in the shape of the foot...

Read more
May 20, 2016

Jonas is a seven-month-old baby boy from Tanzania. He is the first born to his parents who are both subsistence farmers.

Jonas was born with a left clubbed foot. Clubfoot is a congenital condition where the foot is curved inwards at the ankle, as opposed to straight. This condition will cause Jonas to have difficulty walking as he gets older.

His parents asked around their village for anything that could be done to help Jonas, but couldn’t find help. When the outreach team of our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), visited, they explained that Jonas’s condition could be fully corrected with surgery and casting.

The total cost of treatment is $1,160, and includes four months of physical therapy at a rehabilitation center after surgery.

Let’s help Jonas take his first steps!

“I would like to see my child walking normally like other children,” shares Jonas’s mother.

Jonas is a seven-month-old baby boy from Tanzania. He is the first born to his parents who are both subsistence farmers. Jonas was born w...

Read more

Jonas's Timeline

  • May 20, 2016
    PROFILE SUBMITTED

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

  • May 24, 2016
    TREATMENT OCCURRED

    Jonas 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

    Jonas's profile was published to start raising funds.

  • June 5, 2016
    FULLY FUNDED

    Jonas's treatment was fully funded.

  • July 1, 2016
    TREATMENT UPDATE

    Jonas'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

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.