Abubakar S., 2

Abubakar Saminu is a two-year-old boy who lives with his parents, sister, and three of his father’s younger siblings in a two-room rented apartment. His father is a welder, while his mother makes and sells traditional caps to support the family. The household earns about ₦15,000 monthly, making it difficult to meet basic needs and afford healthcare. They have no electricity and depend on a neighbour for water, spending about ₦600 when they need to purchase a trip. Despite these challenges, Abubakar remains cheerful and active. Abubakar was brought to the hospital with a 10-month history of swelling in the right groin and scrotum, first noticed when he cried. The soft, painless swelling becomes more prominent with crying, coughing, or straining and reduces when he lies down or sleeps. He has no vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, or difficulty passing stool. Following medical assessment, he was diagnosed with a right inguinoscrotal hernia.

Abubakar Saminu will be completely cured if surgery is being done, the swelling will disappear, his right testis will grow normally, and he will return to normal play and nursery school within 2 weeks with no future fertility problems. If left untreated, the hernia will never close on its own and will progress to incarceration and strangulation where the bowel dies, causing bowel obstruction, severe infection, and death if not operated as an emergency. It will also compress his spermatic cord, causing his right testis to shrink and die, leading to permanent infertility on that side and stunted growth.