Say hello to Emmanuel, a baby boy from Tanzania! He is the youngest of nine children and his parents are small-scale farmers who grow maize and beans to support their family.
Emmanuel’s parents tell our medical partner, the African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), that Emmanuel is a happy baby when he is not in pain. Emmanuel has open myelomeningocele with hydrocephalus. His back is leaking cerebral spinal fluid, which could lead to sepsis and dehydration if not treated.
“We really don’t know how else to help our child without extra support,” his mother says. “He was admitted at our local hospital three different times without success. He is our last son and we would like to see him grow up like the rest of our children.”
Emmanuel needs a myelomeningocele closure and ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion to overcome his condition and start growing up healthy. “The defect on Emmanuel’s back will no longer leak cerebral spinal fluid and Emmanuel will be out of risk of getting infections and he will continue with normal growth,” AMHF tells us. With $1025, we can pay for Emmanuel’s care. Let’s do this!
