Meet Magejjo, a 28-year-old Ugandan man who enjoys listening to music and watching soccer. He is a fan of the Arsenal soccer team. Three years ago, Magejjo developed swelling in his inguinal scrotal region that has since been diagnosed as a hernia—a protrusion of the intestines through the abdominal wall. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us, “After eating he feels abdominal pain and feels bloated.”
Magejjo works as an office messenger, but sometimes he misses work due to his medical condition. He says, “The swelling is so big that it makes me feel uncomfortable when I am with people.” Though Magejjo was advised to have surgery in 2015, he could not afford the procedure. “If not treated, Magejjo may suffer intestinal obstruction, incarceration and/or strangulation,” says AMHF.
For $220, Magejjo will undergo surgery to return the herniated tissue to the abdominal cavity and repair the weakened tissue in the abdominal wall. The surgery will prevent intestinal obstruction, incarceration and/or strangulation.
After surgery, Magejjo hopes to work more effectively and secure his job so that he can begin to save money and eventually start his own business.
