Ian, a very playful and curious boy happily entered our Watsi rep’s interview room with a big smile on his face. He is a 12-year-old boy from Kenya. A few months ago while hanging out with his age mates, Ian started to understand that he had a condition that made him different than his other friends. He gathered his courage and approached his mother about the condition. She took Ian to a nearby facility for a doctor’s examination. A scan was done during the doctor’s examination and he diagnosed Ian with undescended testes. That facility was not able to do a surgery but the doctor referred them to our Medical Partner Care Center BethanyKids Hospital for treatment. Upon arrival, Ian was examined by the physician who recommended a surgery to be done as soon as possible because his testes were at risk of being damaged. The surgery will put Ian’s testes into the right place hence reducing the risk of future damage or infection. Further, the surgery would reduce instances of future infertility.
Ian’s mother is a shopkeeper and his father is currently a casual laborer in a construction site near their home area. Both parents are not able to find stable jobs to provide for their family of two children. Their family cannot raise the required amount of money to fund the surgery and Ian’s mother is appealing for financial help.
Ian was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Ian has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future.
Ian will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on October 19. AMHF is requesting $569 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care.
Ian’s mother says, “With the surgery scheduled to be done very soon because of his current situation, we are worried that his future of having a family is at risk. As a family, we are requesting for help.”