Renewed Health, Renewed Hope

Seven-year-old Jenny Mae born with Hirschsprung’s Disease, a condition that almost took her life when she was still a newborn. Her mother Jeanalyn rushed her to the hospital, and they found out that Jenny Mae needed a major operation. She was able to receive the initial operation, since her mother’s employment insurance and donations from friends covered the cost, but the little girl still needed a second operation to be truly healed. Thinking of the cost of the second operation, her family felt hopeless. Her father is a carpenter and has a monthly income of USD$21.14 (PHP1,000) to support the whole family. Paying for the second surgery seemed impossible. At age seven, she’s never been to school because her mother worried that she would get bullied. They could not afford to buy colostomy bags, and Jenny Mae was forced to use plastic bags which couldn’t contain the smell. This gave her no confidence to mingle with other people. “Please help me, I want to go to the toilet normally,” Jenny Mae said. “I don’t want a plastic bag in my side and the unwanted smell coming from it.” On February 27, 2018, Jenny Mae finally received her surgery. After a successful surgery, Jenny Mae is very excited that she can start attending school and looks forward to meeting more friends and classmates. She is turning 8 in two months and is supposed to be in grade two this school year, but unfortunately she has to enroll in kindergarten as required. Even though Jenny has not been in school, her mother has been teaching her. She knows how to read and write the alphabet, knows how to write her name and can identify colors. Jenny Mae’s dream is to become a nurse. She wants to take care of herself and her family and help provide for their needs. Because of this surgery, she has the opportunity to fulfil her dreams. Her mother is at peace now because Jenny Mae has new hope and a better future ahead. “We’ve been praying for many years that one day Jenny Mae could have a normal life, and now God has answered our prayers,” Jeanalyn said. “Thank you ICM and our sponsors for all your support. We owe you a lot.”