Scoliosis Support for Children in Kenya

Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital is a public hospital serving ¼ of the population of Kenya. The patients that come to Coast General are often referred from smaller local clinics because the treatments they need are not possible in these under-resourced communities. But, Coast General is underfunded and often does not have access to the resources that we have in places like North America and Europe.

Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine which occurs during growth in adolescence. In severe cases left untreated, the patient can develop severe heart and breathing problems due to compression of the organs. The preferred intervention is providing a brace that stabilizes the spine during growth to prevent further curvature. If the curve progresses far enough, surgery is required to correct the spine to prevent serious health consequences. In Kenya, a spinal surgery of this kind is not feasible, so patients must travel internationally to receive the care they need. But, most patients who are referred to Coast General are unable to even afford the brace that would prevent this type of surgery from being needed. Those referred to this hospital can be living on as little as 274 KSH a day, which is equivalent to 2 USD. The cost of a brace that a child can use for their entire adolescence is 50,000 KSH (365 USD).

Kenya Scoliosis Relief Initiative is a nonprofit organization created by premedical students who had the opportunity to intern at Coast General Hospital. We decided to start this fundraiser after seeing the lack of care children with scoliosis received due to a lack of resources. Please consider aiding our effort to fund spinal braces for these children and help them lead healthy lives.