- Request received22/03/2026
- Checked & confirmed30/03/2026
- Fundraising30/03/2026
- Treatment provided27/04/2026
- Invoice paid29/04/2026
- Case closed14/08/2026
Why is treatment sometimes done earlier than the payment?
When a case is urgent and vital, hospitals often proceed with delivering medical care right away to save a life, even before the finalisation of admission procedures. Usually, when this happens, hospitals put the bill on our credit until the funds are transferred to their accounts. That’s why the chronology can sometimes be in disorder.
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Habiba M., 7
Report publishedPlastic surgery
11
$430
About plastic surgery
Post-burn flexor contracture occurs when scar tissue forms after a burn injury and causes the skin and underlying tissues to tighten, pulling the fingers into a bent position. This limits the ability to straighten or use the affected fingers normally. Over time, this can lead to reduced hand function, difficulty with daily activities, and impact on a child’s development and schooling. Treatment usually involves surgical release of the contracture followed by physiotherapy to restore movement and improve function.
Thank you for saving this life!
100%
$430 raised of $430
WholeCare Clinic and Hospital Equipment Ltd
Rafin Zurfi, near Dunamis Church, Bauchi
Background
Habiba is a 7-year-old girl living with her parents and five siblings in a modest household. Her father is a small-scale farmer and her mother a housewife, and the family struggles financially, with some of the children unable to attend school regularly. Despite these challenges, Habiba is eager to continue her education and build a better future. Two years ago, she sustained burns to her left hand, which were treated at home. After healing, she developed deformity of the little and middle fingers due to scarring, leaving her unable to properly use the affected hand. This has affected her daily activities and schooling, as she experiences difficulty participating and is sometimes teased by her peers. On examination, she was found to have severe flexor contractures of the affected fingers due to scar formation. She has been diagnosed with post-burn flexor contracture of the left hand and requires corrective treatment, for which her family is seeking support.
Medical history
Habiba sustained contact burns over two years earlier when she touched a hot object leading to deep injuries to her left little and middle finger. Due to financial contraint she was treated at home and it healed with deformities of those fingers. It renders the fingers unusable and hence leaving her crippled in that hand. The deformity hinders her from freely using the hand and she shy away from social gatherings due to stigma from her peers as a result of the deformities. The family heard about Helpster through a beneficiary and came seeking for help. Examination revealed severe flexor contracture of left little and middle fingers but with supple joints. She was then admitted, investigations to ascertain her fitness for surgery such as FBC, EUCr, serum albumin were done and she had contracture release done. She spent 14 days on admission receiving physiotherapy and wound care. She did very well, wound healed and is doing well with range of motion exercises of the joints as the scar matures. She is to continue with that as she come for follow up to ensure seemless healing.
Prognosis
The child has a hand contracture affecting finger movement and function, for which corrective surgery and rehabilitation have been recommended. She is currently stable and suitable for definitive treatment. With surgical release and physiotherapy, improvement in hand function is expected. The overall prognosis is favorable.
