UPDATE (10th March 2022):

Hello to our lovely supporters and donors,

It's been a little while since we shared a proper update on what is happening with Dan.

Although Dan is not in the critical condition he was last year, he is still not very well at the moment. The past few months have been really tough for Dan and he has been in and out of hospital.

Over the past few months we have received several different diagnoses as new test results have come in. The result of Dans immunofluorescence on his kidney biopsy suggests he may have an autoimmune disease known as Lupus. However, this is still not 100% and we have been informed further tests still need to be done.

Recently, Dan has been having great trouble with his breathing. It really scares him and those around him. This could be a complication of his kidney disease.

Dan is not yet back in school and rarely gets up to play. We desperately want the old Dan we know and love back.

The money donated last year has covered Dans medical expenses so far, including the trip to Kenya for the biopsy. We simply do not have the money left to do these further tests for Dan. We have been working on creating a sponsorship programme for Dan as his medical costs are likely to be lifelong - however until we have the exact answers and a secure way forward, we cannot estimate the ongoing costs. For this reason we have held back on launching the sponsorship programme until we know more.

We need to raise £1500 urgently so that Dan can have a genetic test done, alongside some further blood work tests and an x-ray on his lungs to try to establish the cause of his difficulty breathing.

At the time of posting this we had raised £10,422. We have now increased our target to £11,922 in order to cover the costs of the tests Dan urgently needs.

Poor Dan did not deserve this. It has been a year now of being sick with constant hospital trips. We need some real answers - so we can help Dan get back to his usual active, lively, happy self and return to school.

Were so grateful for any further support you may be able to give.

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UPDATE:

Thank you so much for all your donations. Dan was in ICU for several weeks before being taken to Kenya for a biopsy. He is currently in a stable condition, but his treatment is ongoing.

So far we have got one result from the biopsy which shows he has scars in the kidney. However, we are still waiting for another result (immunoflorescence) to understand why he has scars. We know the scars cause kidneys to leak protein and blood.

Dan must make regular trips hospital for review and monitoring to ensure that the medicine he is on continues to keep him stable. This process is going to take many years and it is likely Dan will be on medicine for the rest of his life.

We urgently need to raise more funds in order to continue to support Dan and ensure he stays healthy. We hope to continue to provide him with a quality education so that one day, when he is independent, he'll be able to earn the money to fund his own healthcare.

Dan deserves to live a long, happy life. Thank you for helping to make this happen.

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DAN'S STORY:

Dan is one special little boy. He is full of character and he is full of life. He is very clever and a quick learner. He is also very mischievous! Climbing things he shouldn't and taking things apart to see how they work are some of Dan's favourite things to do.

Dan is also really sick right now. He has been admitted into ICU in a hospital in Kampala.

I've known Dan since he was just two years old. I met him on my first ever trip to Uganda in 2014, when I went to volunteer. Dan had lived at the orphanage for a couple of years, after his mum had passed away. When I met him, Dan wasn't very well. As a volunteer, I was asked to help assist with finding out what was wrong and getting him better. Numerous doctors appointments later, we were told he was suffering from long-term effects of being extremely malnourished a baby. We were told to feed him a high protein diet from there onwards and to use good quality cream on his skin. He seemed to improve, so that was that.

In 2017, we began supporting Dan with an education through CEDA. We have done so since, alongside providing him with nutritious meals, access to medical care and an abundance of love, support and encouragement.

Just over a week ago, Dan was diagnosed with malaria (not uncommon for children in Uganda) and given treatment. On finishing his treatment, Dan fell even more ill. Josh - my partner - took him to a trusted local clinic to find out what was wrong. His body had suddenly began to swell and Dan was in constant tears from pain.

Results showed he had a problem with his kidney, but the doctor suggested it was from the previous medicine and that he could be treated. They were adamant he was improving, but Josh was not convinced. With the help of a friend, Dan went for a scan at another hospital. The results were not good. Josh rushed Dan to a large, well-equipped hospital in Kampala straight away.

On arriving at IHK, the doctors were in shock. Dan was incredibly sick and admitted into ICU immediately. His blood pressure was scarily high and he was losing protein and blood in his urine.

Just the initial deposit for Dan to be admitted to ICU is over £1000. We are awaiting further test results to find what is really wrong with Dan and what our next steps are, but we are anticipating the costs for treatment to be extremely high.

Just a week ago, Dan was playing with his friends. Now he is lying in a hospital bed, scared and in pain.

We desperately need to raise money in order to help make sure Dan gets better. We simply do not have the funds to cover this and without the support of the public, Dan may not survive. Can you help us?

He deserves to grow up. All kids do.

Thank you - for anything you are able to give.

Emilie Larter

Director, CEDA

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