Help with little Jenifer’s reconstructive hand surgery.

As most of our friends know, my sister and I recently traveled to El Salvador on a medical mission trip. During one of our clinic days in a small community outside of the city we came across this sweet little girl, Jenifer. Her mom brought her to our clinic for a cold and to get parasite medication and vitamins. During her visit I noticed a deformity in both her pinky fingers. She suffers from a rare congenital condition called “Camptodactylyl” which causes her pinkie fingers to be fixed in a bent position. If not corrected this can lead to complications as she grows. The young mom said she had taken her to the free National Children’s Hospital six different times over the course of a couple of years and has not been able to get her any help. I asked our national pastor if he would be willing to get her to a private doctor to see about getting this taken care of. Private doctor’s are not an option for most people in El Salvador due to the cost. The average monthly income is $365 a month with most people making $225 or less a month.

After reviewing the x-rays the private Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon said that unfortunately her case is the worst case scenario in that it is caused by an abnormal bone structure. To repair this she will need a surgical procedure to remove a small piece of bone and place a tiny screw in the area. He said that if it is not repaired now it will cause major problems as she gets older. This is worrisome since many women in El Salvador make a living working with their hands, cooking and baking goods to sell. The cost to repair both hands is $3500 which makes it unattainable without our help.

If you are able, we would appreciate any donations toward the cost of her surgery. I will post pictures and updates of her journey. If you have any questions feel free to message me through Facebook.