Emmanuel is a six-year-old boy from Uganda. After his parents’ separation, he is now cared for by his grandmother, who is a small-scale farmer. His mother supports him by working as a vegetable vendor at the local trading center.
For the past three years, Emmanuel has had an inguinal scrotal hernia, a condition where abdominal tissue protrude through a weak spot in the abdominal wall and extend down into the scrotal sac. His grandmother first noticed the condition when he began crying after an incident while playing with other children. Concerned, she took him to several clinics, where Emmanuel was given pain medication, and they were advised to have an ultrasound scan performed.
Due to financial constraints, the family resorted to using local herbal remedies, but these did not help. Instead, the swelling continued to increase in size. Emmanuel now experiences significant pain and discomfort. He is unable to sit for long periods, and walking to school has become very difficult. As a result, he has stopped attending school.
During a medical outreach program run by our medical partner’s care center, Rwibaale Hospital, Emmanuel was examined and his mother was advised to bring him to the hospital for further evaluation and proper management.
Emmanuel has been scheduled for hernia repair surgery on June 3rd. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $234 to fund his procedure, which once completed, will allow him to live healthier and go back to school.
Emmanuel’s mother says, “If all goes well, my son will go back to school and I am ready to support him with the little I have.”
