Elijah Jitmansingh is a vibrant, kind-hearted 16-year-old whose dreams have been disrupted by a rare and painful condition known as Kienböck’s Disease, affecting his dominant (right) hand.

Elijah has always been an active, spirited young man — drawn to Dragon Boating, Muay Thai, Badminton and most recently, swimming. He currently represents both his alma mater and a southern-based club in the developmental swimming category.

When Elijah's pain first began in his wrist, we assumed it was the usual growing pains of an active teen — strains, sprains and overuse. We treated it with ice, rest, wristbands…but sadly it didn’t go away. It worsened.

Eventually, we learned that Elijah’s lunate bone was showing signs of avascular necrosis (AVN)  — a condition we now understand to be Kienböck’s Disease.  It is a silent condition that, if left untreated, could lead to progressive wrist pain and abnormal carpal motion.

After consultation with an orthopedic specialist at the world-renowned Curtis National Hand Center in Baltimore, USA, the doctor believes Elijah is at Stage 2 of 4. This specialist surgeon has pioneered an advanced microsurgical approach involving bone grafts — but given Elijah’s age and ongoing skeletal development, he does not recommend that route at this time.

Instead, he has advised a Radial Shortening Osteotomy, a simpler outpatient procedure that shortens the forearm bone to reduce pressure (pain) on the wrist and restore function (partial). This approach carries fewer risks, avoids knee grafting and has shown promising results — with a 75% success rate in pain relief and halting further bone collapse.

There is a possibility this surgery might be available locally. However, given the urgency and limited local expertise with this condition, we are still actively investigating the best and most timely surgical option. While we explore all possible options for financial coverage, we are moving forward with raising the funds necessary for Elijah’s surgery.

We are humbly asking for your support to help Elijah access the care he needs — whether locally or abroad — so he can return to the things he loves and regain strength, movement in his wrist and confidence in himself.  

No donation is too small, and every gesture of kindness is deeply felt.

We thank you — sincerely, for standing with our son in this chapter of his healing journey.

With gratitude,
Bridgette Guevara Jitmansingh
(for Elijah and our family)