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Success! James from Tanzania raised $935 to fund life-changing clubfoot repair surgery.

James
100%
  • $935 raised, $0 to go
$935
raised
$0
to go
Fully funded
James's treatment was fully funded on January 4, 2023.

Photo of James post-operation

February 1, 2023

James underwent life-changing clubfoot treatment so he can grow up healthy.

James has started manipulation and casting to help correct his legs and feet. He is on his second casting, and he is scheduled to have an additional one and then one final surgery to complete his treatment. Through this treatment he will have straight feet and be able to grow up and wear shoes like other children. His family is relieved he has been helped so young and can have a good life ahead.

James’ mother says, “Thank you very much for your kind gesture.”

James has started manipulation and casting to help correct his legs and feet. He is on his second casting, and he is scheduled to have an ad...

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August 8, 2022

James is a beautiful newborn baby from Tanzania. He is the youngest in a family of three children. To support their family, his father practices small-scale farming, and his mother is a homemaker. His parents share that their income is only enough to meet their day-to-day needs.

James has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape, meaning both of James’s legs are twisted downward and inward. Without treatment, he will grow up and have difficulty walking and wearing shoes.

Fortunately, James’s family traveled to visit our medical partner’s care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on August 9th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $935 to fund James’s clubfoot repair. This procedure will allow him to grow in good health and walk with ease when he grows up.

James’s mother says, “It has been rough for the past two weeks, moving with my baby from one health centre to another without any success. I am glad that he will get the treatment required.”

James is a beautiful newborn baby from Tanzania. He is the youngest in a family of three children. To support their family, his father pract...

Read more

James's Timeline

  • August 8, 2022
    PROFILE SUBMITTED

    James was submitted by Edward Mugane, Impact Assessment Coordinator at African Mission Healthcare.

  • August 8, 2022
    PROFILE PUBLISHED

    James's profile was published to start raising funds.

  • August 9, 2022
    TREATMENT OCCURRED

    James received treatment at Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre (ALMC) in Tanzania. Medical partners often provide care to patients accepted by Watsi before those patients are fully funded, operating under the guarantee that the cost of care will be paid for by donors.

  • January 4, 2023
    FULLY FUNDED

    James's treatment was fully funded.

  • February 1, 2023
    TREATMENT UPDATE

    James's treatment was successful. Read the update.

Funded by 30 donors

Funded by 30 donors

Treatment
Clubfoot
  • Cost Breakdown
  • Diagnosis
  • Procedure
On average, it costs $935 for James's treatment
Hospital Fees
$693
Medical Staff
$0
Medication
$8
Supplies
$175
Labs
$14
Other
$45
  • Symptoms
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Cultural or regional significance

​What kinds of symptoms do patients experience before receiving treatment?

The foot is turned inward, often severely, at the ankle, and the arch of the foot is very high. Patients experience discomfort, and the affected leg may be shorter and smaller than the other.

​What is the impact on patients’ lives of living with these conditions?

These children have a difficult time walking and running. Years of trying to walk on a clubfoot will cause wounds and other skeletal problems, such as arthritis. Patients will have difficulty fitting in shoes and participating in normal play, school, and daily activities. Many Africans make their livings through manual labor, which can be difficult with an untreated clubfoot.

What cultural or regional factors affect the treatment of these conditions?

Incidence is 1/1,000 live births, or about 1,600 cases in Tanzania annually. This is roughly similar to rates in Western countries, though many cases may be missed. There is no known reason for its occurrence in this region.

  • Process
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Risks and side-effects
  • Accessibility
  • Alternatives

What does the treatment process look like?

Patients will undergo a series of small operations, casting, and manipulations during their course of treatment. Patients will stay in the Plaster House, a rehabilitation center for children in Tanzania, for as long as their recovery takes.

What is the impact of this treatment on the patient’s life?

The bones and joint will become aligned, and long-term disability will be prevented.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

Clubfoot is very treatable. The surgery is minor and not risky.

How accessible is treatment in the area? What is the typical journey like for a patient to receive care?

Care is not easily accessible. Most patients live in remote, rural areas and are identified through mobile outreach. The pediatric surgical program at Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre was started to meet the large burden of pediatric disability in the region.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

There are no alternatives. If not treated, the condition will persist and will result in disability.

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Mark

Mark is a 2-year-old boy, His mother works as a teacher, while the father owns a small business of selling thrift shoes around town. However, ever since the lock down period during the COVID-19 pandemic, their business has been slow, thus, reducing their household income. The past year has been the most difficult for them, and they are unable to raise funds to seek medical treatment for their son. Last year, while playing with his friends, Mark accidentally pulled on a flask of hot water resulting in the water spilling and burning most parts of his arms and stomach. Following the accident, his mother applied honey and a raw egg on the wound as first aid and then rushed him to the hospital. Mark was given ointments to help the wound heal, but his mother was led to believe that applying mashed cassava mixed with honey would help Mark’s wound heal faster and better compared to the medicine he was given at the hospital. Two months after the incident, Mark no longer had an open wound, but the skin around the fingers of his right hand was badly damaged. Burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around the burn. Now it is difficult for him to use his right hand. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Mark receive treatment. On March 3rd, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery to increase the functionality of his fingers. Now, he needs help to fund this $874 procedure. Mark’s mother says, “Sometimes I wonder if not following the doctor’s advice is the reason my son’s hand is the way it is, and I’m the one responsible for that.”

0% funded

0%funded
$0raised
$874to go

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.