Meet Caleb, a two-year-old boy who lives with his parents and elder sibling in a single roomed house in Central Kenya. Caleb’s father works odd jobs, and his mother spends her days caring for Caleb and his sister. The couple’s unsteady income has made it difficult for them to financially support their son through his medical complications.
Caleb was born without an anus, making it impossible for him to pass stool. Despite their financial straits, Caleb’s parents made sure that “right after birth he got a colostomy,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). A colostomy is a procedure during which an incision is made in the abdomen and the intestine or colon is routed to that opening, allowing the patient to relieve him or herself.
However, colostomies are typically only temporary fixes for patients with Caleb’s condition. In order to achieve a more permanent means of passing stool, Caleb must undergo a procedure known as an anorectoplasty, or “pull-through” surgery. This operation will separate the urinary tract from the rectum, and create a new opening called a stoma, through which Caleb will be able to pass stool.
AMHF reports that Caleb has already developed “inflammation around his colostomy site and is at a high risk of getting infections.” Thus, he needs this next surgery as soon as possible.
Caleb’s parents have managed to raise $215 for their son’s operation, but need our help; their seven-year-old daughter recently fell and burned herself, so much of their money has gone towards her treatment. With an additional $1,260 Caleb will undergo his crucial “pull-through” operation, after which “he will be able to relieve himself normally and escape the risk of infection to which the colostomy site is prone,” explains AMHF.
“We have only been able to raise a small amount of money, but without the whole amount, Caleb can’t get treated. Please help make this treatment possible,” shares Caleb’s mother.