35-year-old Emmanuel has had a hernia for four years. A hernia occurs when part of an organ shifts from its usual placement and protrudes from the wall of whatever cavity in which it is located. The pain has kept Emmanuel from working full time, and he has not been able to participate fully in daily activities.
Emmanuel lives in a village in Uganda about 30km from the hospital. He is married with four children, three of whom are in school; the fourth is still young. When he is feeling well he does farm labour, but he has not been able to afford surgery because he has been unable to work full time. He also occasionally picks tea on the community plantation in exchange for food.
Emmanuel is subsidizing eight dollars of his treatment expenses, but still needs $227 to make his hernia repair possible. With this funding, the hole in Emmanuel’s abdominal wall will be sewn closed, most likely with surgical mesh, and the displaced organ will thus be pushed back into its proper place.
When he is not working, Emmanuel enjoys listening to the radio, especially discussion programs. What makes him happy is listening to his children discuss about what they learned at school. Once his operation is completed, not only will Emmanuel be relieved of his pain, but he will be able to return to work and the activities he enjoys.