African Mission Healthcare

Ethiopia

BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre (BKMCM)

Patients at BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre (BKMCM)

Kenay is a sweet eleven-month-old baby boy from Ethiopia who loves to play with his mom. He is the fourth child of his parents. Kenay has started weaning and is eating Plumpy Nut, a nutrition supplement donated by the government and organizations to children with malnutrition, as Kenay was underweight. Kenay’s dad is a farmer and has land, but because of the drought, they couldn’t harvest enough, even for the family’s consumption. Initially, Kenay got his emergency colostomy from Sekota Hospital, which was supported by the community. However, he became so sick and underweight that his mother and some family members lost hope in his ability to survive. Fortunately, his mom heard about our medical partner’s care center, BethanyKids, from a social worker, and upon learning that they could get treatment for his condition, their hope increased. Bethany Kids covered the family’s transportation and accommodation to bring Kenay to the hospital, where the medical team first put him on a nutrition program for over four months to treat malnutrition. Now, Kenay’s weight is normal, and he is fit for surgery. Kenay was born with an anorectal malformation, a congenital abnormality that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. He needs to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate bowel dysfunction. The long journey with multiple issues with his colostomy care has significantly impacted the psychological health of his parents, and they are requesting financial assistance with his surgery cost. Kenay is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct his condition on November 22nd. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $1,500 to cover Kenay’s procedure and care costs. After his recovery, Kenay will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. Kenay’s mom said, “I hope my child will get treatment, and I hope he will heal after the treatment. I hope I will see him growing up and start a decent life.”

$1,145raised
$354to go

Kila is a sweet 19-month-old boy from Ethiopia. He already loves to play football with his dad and mom. His mom and dad went to school up to grade three and dropped out since the schools were far from their neighbourhood. They now work as casual labourers at a construction site; his mom carries Kila to work and works with him tied on her back. They earn $1.76 per day and live in a rented house. They work hard, but their income is hardly enough to sustain the family and to raise their child. They support each other in the housework too. Dad buys water and carries it on his back for their daily use. They buy charcoal to cook their food. Since birth, Kila has had an inguinal hernia. His parents took him to a health centre, but they were referred to a hospital in another city. A month ago, they heard of an organization around their area that helps families in need who don't have access to surgery because of a lack of funds to support their treatment. They went to the mission organization and communicated with the sisters about the condition of the child and their financial status. The sisters called our local partner's care center Bethany KidsMCM and informed them of Kila's condition. BKMCM arranged accommodation for his family on their treatment stay in Addis Ababa, working in partnership with Missionaries of Charity, and assigned a date and informed the sisters to bring the family on that date. The family is unable to afford Kila's surgery and is requesting financial assistance. This hernia causes him weakness and pain that prevents him from walking. Fortunately, on December 12th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $512 to fund Kila's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live and grow more comfortably and confidently. Kila's dad said, “This is in the hands of God, but I hope with this surgery, the bulge will disappear and he will get normal and free of any complication.”

$70raised
$442to go

Alazar is a sweet boy from Ethiopia. He is the seventh child in his family. Five of the children are girls and two are boys. He loves to sing songs, go to church, try martial arts, and drink juice. His dad is diabetic and his condition causes him to faint often. He has government health insurance and gets treatment in a local government hospital. Because of his condition, Alazar's dad cannot work. His mom makes traditional bread and sells it on the street to feed her children. She makes her bread by firewood and this makes it hard for her to always have the smoke of the wood making the bread. She is the only one who works for income in their family, but her older children help with housework. They bring water from the spring carrying it on their back. She proudly sends all her children to school. Alazar underwent an earlier colostomy, in which the end of the colon is brought through an opening in the abdominal wall. This surgery is often performed to bypass bowel malformations, but colostomies are usually temporary and may call for closure. In Alazar's case, his colostomy requires closure in order to restore bowel function and prevent future complications. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,009 to cover the cost of a colostomy closure for Alazar. The surgery is scheduled to take place on January 9th and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Alazar's mom said: “After he gets the treatment and heals I will praise my Lord. I will tell everyone who knows me about the hand of God. I did ask God ‘to heal my baby. You gave me this child; don’t take it away from me. I always cry and pray.’ I hope God has heard my prayer leading me to you. I will go to my church and testify what God did to all community in the church.”

$431raised
$578to go

Samuel is a smart, playful boy aged one year and eight months old. He loves martial arts and can recite the entire alphabet. He loves to pray with his mother. Before he was born, a prophet told his mother that she would give birth to a son named Samuel. She was very happy to have a son as her older children are all girls. Samuel's mother cleans the street for a living. She carries her son on her back and cleans the street early in the morning. Sometime back, Samuel contracted pneumonia due to the cold mornings, and she stopped working for a while. She has recently resumed to help support her family. Her husband works as a day laborer, but he does not have consistent work. The family lives in a rented single-room mud house. Their income is minimal, and they struggle to meet their daily expenses. They receive government donated food on public holidays. An international organization supports one of her school-going daughters, paying for her education and donating some food every month. Samuel was born with a congenital condition called epispadias, where the urethra does not develop into a full tube, and the urine exits the body from an unusual site. As a result of this condition, Samuel experiences constant urinary leakage and is unable to urinate while standing like other boys. Samuel is scheduled for epispadias repair but his family is not able to meet the surgery costs. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Samuel receive treatment. On March 12th, surgeons at their care center BKMCM will perform an epispadias repair surgery so that Samuel can live more comfortably and confidently. Now, Samuel's family needs help to fund this $1,040 procedure. Samuel's mother says, "I love him so much that I pray every day that he will be fine after the surgery. I am worried that I might lose him during the surgery, but I want him to heal and become like other boys, so I consented to him having the surgery. I wish for him to become continent, and attend school someday."

$0raised
$1,040to go