Where do we start with the funny and full of charisma Yankho Patrick?!
Yankho was born alongside his twin brother in early December 2018. Sadly, several weeks after their arrival into the world, Yankho’s brother died in the nursery ward, and on 24th December 2018, their mother devastatingly passed away due to postpartum complications.
With Yankho still in hospital but growing stronger every day, his Grandmother continued to look after him until he was well and strong enough to return home to live with the family for some time.
However, Yankho’s grandfather, who provided for the family, suffered a severe stroke, and was admitted to hospital in the Autumn of 2019.
This was when Open Arms opened our doors to Yankho and his Grandmother.
Coming to Open Arms on 3rd October 2019, at ten months old, Yankho was severely malnourished, weighing a tiny 3.90kg.
Yankho was also diagnosed with cerebral palsy, which explained some of the developmental delays in the tot.
Cerebral Palsy in children can affect motor skills, fine motor coordination, and muscle tone, negatively impacting the child’s movement, affecting sensory skills, speech and language, and social and emotional development, hence causing delays in meeting childhood milestones.
However, with the right treatment, care, and fantastic support, children can continue to thrive, overcome barriers, meet those all-important milestones, and live a full life.
While in the care of the great team at Open Arms, Yankho was placed on a special nutritional diet and provided with regular physiotherapy to increase his range of movement. Alongside this a more holistic social, emotional, and behavioural plan was developed to help provide Yankho with the best possible start to life.
Fortunately, Yankho is going from strength to strength, and we are so pleased with his progress and determination. So much so, that we’re delighted to say Yankho returned home to his family on 4th March 2021.
Support through outreach
Yankho has not returned to live with his elderly Grandparents but instead, his Aunt, who lives in Mbayani, Blantyre, close to Open Arms. Our team has been working closely with the family for a long time now to make sure everyone is fully prepared for the additional care that Yankho will need as he grows and develops.
With four cousins to play with and learn from, we’re confident Yankho will come on leaps and bounds.
However, our outreach team is never too far away. With regular monitoring and support available, we aim to provide the necessary tools for families like Yankho's so that they can take on his care successfully.
Sponsor Yankho today
By sponsoring a child like Yankho, you help support their continued development and care for them to grow healthy, strong, and above all, happy.
Guardians like Yankho’s Aunt will visit Open Arms with Yankho to collect a small monthly sponsorship, allowing the team to keep in touch and make sure that everyone is well, and the family is coping.
Your regular contribution is vital to our community outreach work. Sponsorship allows the Open Arms team go beyond providing the basic essentials and giving them the support to provide tailored care for each individual and family they see.
Find out more by visiting our child sponsorship page.
Your donation will help children in Malawi grow up healthy with the love of a family
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