Sungani is a 74-year-old farmer from central Malawi. He and his wife live close to their four adult children and six grandchildren. In his free time, Sungani enjoys chatting with his friends.
For the past two years, Sungani has been experiencing pain due to an umbilical hernia. The pain has interfered with Sungani’s ability to work and perform other daily tasks.
An umbilical hernia occurs when a portion of the intestine protrudes through the umbilical opening in the abdominal muscles, presenting as a soft swelling or bulge near the navel (umbilicus). In some cases, the hernia can be gently pushed back into the abdomen. However, in other cases, a segment of the intestine or abdominal fat becomes trapped in the hernia and cannot slide back into the abdomen. Without treatment, blood supply to the tissue may be reduced, causing severe complications.
Until now, Sungani has been unable to receive quality treatment to repair his hernia. For $327, Sungani will undergo hernia repair. During the surgery, the doctor will push the protruding tissue back into the abdomen and sew together the weakened muscle with a synthetic mesh. Over time, muscle tissue will grow into and around the mesh to strengthen the area.
Funding for Sungani also covers the costs of a six-day hospital stay, pain medicine, blood tests, and one follow-up consultation after surgery.
Sungani and his family look forward to his return to his normal daily life, pain-free. Let’s help make that happen!