Helping baby Jiao: surgery for Spina Bifida
Donation protected
Hello everyone! My name is Cathy, and I am an advocate for the Mekong Hope Surgical Fund- a fund that facilitates medical and surgical treatment for needy children in Southeast Asia’s Upper Mekong Region (Laos, Thailand, Myanmar).
Sweet 4-month-old baby Jiao was referred to us from a very impoverished village in Western Laos with a case of spina bifida. This neural tube defect affects the backbone protecting the spinal cord to not form and close properly, thus causing a sac of fluid to push through an opening in the back. Complications include paralysis and loss of bladder control, which would be further exacerbated if spinal nerves happen to be within the sac. For a baby living in a rural village without any medical care, paralysis or incontinence would absolutely devastate her quality of life.
Thankfully, baby Jiao was able to get an MRI at Overbrook Hospital in Chiang Rai in April that showed that there were no nerves in her spinal sac!!! This means that she has a high chance of living a normal life after successful surgery, and we were over the moon when we heard the news! She is booked to see the surgeon in February, and her surgery and pre/postoperative care are estimated to be about $2,000 USD. We are desperately hoping to get baby Jiao this surgery and are trying everything we can to provide the funds. Any help that can be given to us would be enormously appreciated, for this surgery would absolutely change this little baby’s life. But more than anything, regardless of money, we ask you to keep baby Jiao in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you so much.
More about Mekong Hope: Headed by primary healthcare professional Alexandra Jagelman, MHSF serves as a liaison between patients and surgical opportunities, having previously funded over 70 cleft lip and palate surgeries for children from China, Laos, and Myanmar. This fund is not a registered organization or formal fund, but we are genuine and work hard to ensure that children get the proper care they need. 100% of donations go directly to patient costs. There are no administrative fees or staff salaries taken from donations.
Organizer
Catherine Hansa
Organizer
Las Vegas, NV