Why not… give medical care?

Children with special needs face many health problems, such as epilepsy or cerebral palsy. Many families cannot afford treatment or medication for their children. Why Not offers them weekly and monthly meetings where the children receive medication and treatment, education and physical therapy, and where we show parents how to treat their children at home as well.  

The monthly epilepsy clinic begins with health education. Then each parent meets with a professional doctor who specializes in epilepsy to discuss the child's progress. The doctor also provides prescriptions for the medication. This treatment results in the reduction or even cessation of the convulsions, and the educational talks have helped to change the parents' attitudes when it comes to their child's limitations. This simultaneously increases the acceptance of these children.  

In 2020, the organization was able to support 34 children with epilepsy medication, wheelchairs, corsets or special shoes. There are even cases where the children no longer need to take the medication because the seizures have been completely stopped by proper monitoring and medication.  

 Why Not works together with the Association for the Physically Disabled of Kenya (A.P.D.K). Weekly physiotherapy is offered at Why Not's office to children born with cerebral palsy. The parents also learn there how to continue the exercises at home, because to be effective, it must be repeated often. The organization provides weekly physical therapy to more than 15 children. 

 An additional benefit of these weekly group sessions, are the meetings between parents. Thus, they have the opportunity to meet other parents, communicate and share their experiences. This helps to increase their self-esteem and provides an opportunity to exchange ideas.