Ashleyn first came to Kapsowar hospital with 45% burns across her chest, back, arms and limbs. The wounds were initially slow to heal, taking more than a month to close completely, which made her susceptible to infection. After days of rehabilitation and care, Ashleyn’s injuries became stable, and all of her wounds started healing. Although mobility remained an issue, her conditions started getting better. For faster healing, her doctors advised that she needed a skin graft which was successfully done. Ashleyn has now undergone two surgeries which have given her mobility in her neck and chest as well as her arms. Her treatment has relieved the pain in her back and shoulders and has given her the ability to reach, carry, and lift things again.

After having trained her mum to do safe dressing changes at home, Ashleyn was finally discharged from the hospital with a month’s worth of medications. She will soon begin her physiotherapy to bring movement back to her hand. Little Ashleyn now has the freedom to walk around as much as she wants.

Ashleyn’s father says, “We are so happy and also relieved as a family and have called this a miracle. We are happy with the outcome of the surgery. She is happy and healthy.”

Ashleyn is the third and last-born child in their family. Her parents are maize farmers in Transzoia County in Kenya. Three weeks ago, Ashleyn was playing with her elder brother at their home while her mum was cooking. Her mum left and Ashleyn fell over a pot of boiling oil, causing her to badly burn her hand and chest. Her mother immediately took her to the nearby government hospital where she was admitted for 10 days. She was being dressed daily but her condition kept worsening. She was then referred to our medical partner’s care center and they had to travel for several hours to get from her hometown to the hospital where she was seen by the doctors. Ashleyn needed urgent medical attention whereby she was transfused and treated for pneumonia as she continued being dressed. She recovered well and now she has been deemed fit for surgery where she will need skin grafting to heal her chronic non-healing wounds where she was burned.

The wounds are very painful and this has caused so much worry for her parents. They are concerned about their daughter’s future.

While admitted at the other hospital, Ashleyn’s medical costs rose to $600 forcing her parents to borrow money from a local money lender with very high-interest rates to pay the bills. They are still paying off the debt to date. Now their family has no money available and her mother explained that paying for this surgery would be impossible for them.

Ashleyn is urgently in need of care and the skin grafting will help her heal faster. The family is requesting for help so that Ashleyn can undergo the surgery and be well again.

Ashleyn’s father says, “My daughter was in a bad condition when she was referred to Kapsowar Hospital. We now have new hope after we were told that she is progressing well and that her surgery will make her heal fast. I have found the strength to see the positive in her situation.”