Three-month-old Jane lives with her parents in a two-room rental house in central Kenya. Her mother works at a salon, while her father is a subsistence farmer.
When Jane was born, the doctors noticed that she lacked an anal opening. She has already undergone a colostomy procedure, in which doctors pulled an end of the colon through a cut in the abdominal wall and sutured it in place.
The next step in the treatment process is a pull-through procedure—an anorectoplasty. Jane’s colostomy opening is prone to infection and blockage. Because of these potential issues, the need for the anorectoplasty is urgent.
Jane’s parents do not have the funds to make this procedure happen, and they still owe the hospital money for Jane’s first procedure. Watsi’s medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), requests $1,327 to pay for the needed operation. Jane’s surgery is scheduled for April 28 at AMHF’s care center, Bethany Kids Kijabe Hospital.
Jane’s mother says, “I am longing for the time Jane will be well, healthy, and thriving with no more hospitalization.”