Extreme Medical Needs

A Life-Saving Journey Begins

The brave little girl we introduced you to in January 2024 is finally on the brink of receiving the life-saving surgery she so desperately needs.

After months of searching, we have found a skilled pediatric neurosurgical team at Shriners Hospital in Chicago willing to take on her incredibly complex scoliosis surgeries. If immigration clears smoothly, she and her mother will be arriving in Chicago next week. Ronald McDonald House has graciously offered to house her and her mother, until they check into Shriners for the surgeries.

This 12-year-old has only 50% lung capacity because her curved spine and ribs are crushing her lungs. The surgical team will spend the first few weeks doing pre-op exams, careful monitoring, and working to help her gain weight—she is small and fragile from years of struggling to simply breathe. The main surgery is scheduled for November, when doctors will straighten and fuse her spine. She will then endure months in halo traction, a grueling process but her only chance to survive and thrive.

The leap from their quiet, rural Kenyan village to the bustle of Chicago will be staggering. Not long ago, this family lived in a simple mud hut. Now they face towering skyscrapers, fast-paced streets, and a terrifyingly complex medical journey. We know they will be overwhelmed—scared, homesick, and uncertain. But thanks to the compassion of Makindu supporters, they won’t be alone. Loving hands will be there to guide them, comfort them, and stand by them every step of the way.

This is more than a surgery. This is the difference between a short, painful childhood and a future filled with hope. You are not just changing this girl’s life—you are saving it. Without you, she would not live into adulthood.

Thank you for making the impossible possible.

Links:

• Shriners Hospital Chicago
• Ronald McDonald House