Daniel is a 9-year-old boy living in Tanzania. He is the youngest of four, and lives with his three older siblings and parents. He likes playing football with his friends and wishes he could go to school, but his condition makes this difficult. “Daniel cannot walk long distances, so he can’t walk to school,” Daniel’s mother explains. “We hope he can get proper medical care so that he can start going to school like the rest of the children.”
Daniel was born with genu valgus, commonly known as “knock-knee.” “Daniel knocks his knees whenever he walks or runs,” our medical partner tells us. “He sometimes complains of pain on his knees, and the deformity has severely affected his gait. If not treated, Daniel has a high risk of developing early osteoarthritis.”
Daniel needs a distal femoral osteotomy, a procedure which involves the cutting and reshaping of his femur, to treat his condition. Our medical partner tells us that with this treatment, “Daniel will no longer knock his knees while walking or running and he will have the ability to walk long distances. The risk of developing early osteoarthritis will also decrease.”
It will take $555 to fund this surgery for Daniel. This surgery will not only give Daniel his mobility, but will also allow him to receive the education his family hopes for!
