Abidel is a four-year-old boy from Guatemala.
Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), explains: “Abidel was born with a club foot. His family made a lot of sacrifices to get him surgery, since he was unable to walk–they spent most of their life savings trying to find a surgeon that could help. When they finally found a foreign surgeon that gave them a discount, he received surgery (about 1 year ago), but it wasn’t totally successful.”
“He still can’t walk on his own without falling, and they’ve tried physical therapy, and various other interventions but they haven’t helped–and now they are out of money,” WK continues. “A few months ago, Abdiel tried to run, and he fell and hit his head, getting a concussion. This made his grandmother worried that he wouldn’t be safe at school, where she couldn’t watch him, so he has not been able to attend school yet, and for this reason his grandma says he’s lonely because he doesn’t have any friends.”
Due to their limited income, Abidel’s family is not able to cover the cost of the leg lengthening orthotic he needs. $367 will allow him access to the care that he needs to walk normally for the first time.
“This treatment will greatly improve the quality of Abdiel’s life, and make his grandmother much less worried about him. The orthopedic brace will help him learn how to walk and run normally, allowing him not only to attend school, but make it less likely that he will be bullied, and allow him the opportunity to make friends,” WK adds. “He will be able to play soccer without falling down. This will allow him to be much more independent, and relieve the stress his grandmother has been feeling about his health and future ability to support himself and a family.”
“Abidel is such a good boy. I want him to be able to work in the future and support his family,” his grandmother shares. “I want to fight for his well-being and make sure the door is open for him to reach for his dreams.”