“I pray that my dear daughter gets the required treatment,” says Dorkas’ father about his first and only child.
Meet Dorkas, a two-month-old baby from Kenya. Dorkas was born with spina bifida – “a leaking mass on the lower backbone area,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF).
Dorkas’ mother is 16 years old, and her father is a casual laborer who earns a monthly income of $36 USD.
Dorkas needs a spina bifida closure, a procedure that involves surgically closing the spinal cord. AMHF explains that this will help “prevent infections from developing in the exposed nerves and tissue, and development of tethered cord.” Tethered cord occurs when the spinal cord becomes attached to tissues around the spine, which can lead to scoliosis or kyphosis.
$805 will fund a spina bifida closure, a five day hospital stay, imaging, labs, medications, and physical therapy. Let’s help support Dorkas’ family and fund this important treatment!