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| Personal details | |
|---|---|
| Name | Leonard Sazi |
| Year of birth | 2013 |
| Residence | Nairobi (Kibera) |
| Country | Kenya |
Social circumstances:
Leonard is a baby boy who lives with his three siblings and his single mother, Rebecca. His father left the family in June last year. Given his mother’s usual meagre monthly income – she sells maize at local markets in Nairobi – the family’s financial situation is dire.
Medical details:
A few days after his birth at St Mary’s Hospital in Nairobi, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy following the detection of muscle weakness. However, incomplete laboratory tests also indicated rickets.
Rickets is a disorder of bone metabolism, formerly also found in Europe, caused by a diet-related vitamin D deficiency; it occurs in childhood and leads to demineralisation of the bones. This results in skeletal deformities, particularly of the spine, the skull and the bones of the limbs. Neuromuscular disorders such as seizures and paralysis are also possible.
Treatment consists ‘merely’ of combined vitamin D and calcium supplementation. As a result, the skeletal changes are almost always reversible. However, if rickets is left untreated, it results in severe, lifelong disabilities.
Leonard’s mother does not have the money to pay for further diagnostic tests and medication to prevent the catastrophic consequences of the disease.
Please help her – please!