Nathan M., 4

Nathan is a 4-year-old boy who lives with his parents and sibling in Umoja, Nairobi. He is a cheerful and active child who enjoys playing with other children and currently attends school. Nathan dreams of becoming a doctor when he grows up. His parents depend on casual jobs, earning an irregular income that is often insufficient to meet the family's basic needs. They live in a modest rented house and frequently struggle to afford food, rent, school expenses, and healthcare, forcing them to prioritize only the most urgent needs. Nathan's illness began with persistent nasal blockage and a constantly runny nose. As the condition progressed, he developed increasing difficulty breathing through his nose, particularly at night and during cold weather. He was forced to breathe through his mouth, snored loudly, slept restlessly, woke up several times each night struggling to breathe, and often appeared tired and irritable during the day. Medical evaluation, including an X-ray and ENT assessment, confirmed adenoid hypertrophy and bilateral inferior turbinate hypertrophy, both causing significant upper airway obstruction. He has been scheduled for an surgery to relieve the obstruction, improve his breathing, restore restful sleep, and enhance his overall quality of life.

Nathan has a good prognosis with surgical treatment. An adenoidectomy removes enlarged adenoids at the back of the nose, while turbinoplasty reduces the size of enlarged nasal turbinates to improve airflow. These procedures are expected to restore normal nasal breathing, improve sleep, reduce mouth breathing and recurrent nasal symptoms, and enhance his growth, development, and quality of life. Without treatment, persistent airway obstruction may lead to recurrent infections, poor sleep, breathing difficulties, and impaired overall health and development.