Help get Charles Scoliosis Surgery

Dear friends, family and anyone,

It has been a while since we started this fundraiser for our friend Charles. He has been stuck waiting for a miracle!

Most recently, through some wonderful contacts, the hospital has lowered the cost of his life changing surgery from 40,000 to almost $25,000. Although, this is a great development, his family is far from being able to afford that.

His father is too old to work and his mother does what she can to provide by selling goods/trinkets here and there.

Charles is a kind and quiet young man that lives in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. His curve was first noticed at age 7 but there was no medical treatment for such a young child in that part of the world. As he grew, the curve grew and became more complex. It stands now at over 100°. The family had no idea Shriners Hospital in Philly existed.

 

Two years ago, Charles was able to be seen at the Focos hospital in neighboring Ghana. This hospital was founded by Dr. Boachie-Adjei. Dr Boachie-Adjei, a native of Ghana, Emeritus

Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College at Cornell University in New York. He is a renown surgeon worldwide. 

 

Focos offers Charles surgery after traction to correct Charles’s spine. But obtaining the funds to cover the surgery is beyond reach for Charles and his family. They have applied at all the foundations and charities they could find to no avail. 

 

As a parent of a child with scoliosis, I empathize with his parents. It’s tough to see your child suffer; not just physically but emotionally. Charles’s curve is an extreme case. It limits his breathing, his ability to engage in physical activity, it hinders his social life, and is slowly depleting his hopes of obtaining work. 

I hope that together we can make this happen for this young man. Please help me in donating whichever amount you can. No donation is too small. Please share his story. 

Below you will find the estimate provide by Focos hospital and pictures/xrays of Charles. 

Updated quote: Oct 2, 2024

 

Updated xray… this should be a straight line not a C

He was first diagnosed back in 2003. All efforts made to cure the ailment in Nigeria proved futile, as the condition kept deteriorating. Due to the severity of his case, he has been waiting for 10 years for treatment of his 100+ degree curve. He is in constant pain and cannot work.