Kan is a retired rice farmer from Kandal province. He is the proud father of two daughters and three sons, and his family now includes ten grandchildren. Unfortunately, he experienced the heart-wrenching loss of his wife to stomach cancer several years ago. Presently, he resides with his youngest daughter and her family, finding comfort in their company. Since retirement, he has nurtured his spiritual side by frequenting the local pagoda. Over the years, he has become a wise mentor to young monks who seek his guidance. Six years ago, Kan developed a pterygium in his left eye, causing him difficulty with his vision. He says he feels like something is always in his eye. It now covers his pupil and he cannot recognize friends and family. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage, wind or dust and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. When Kan learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two-and-a-half hours seeking treatment. Kan needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of his procedure is $225. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for January 2nd. Kan shared: "I hope after surgery my eye can see better and stop irritation and I can read books and go to the pagoda by myself."

Hassan is an only child whose parents separated before he was born. Prior to his birth, Hassan's mother worked alongside his grandmother, doing farm work to earn income. After Hassan was born, his mother had to stop working so she could take care of him. Hassan was diagnosed with spina bifida at birth, a condition that occurs when a developing baby's spinal cord fails to develop or close properly while in the womb. Hassan had a swelling on his back that was open and leaking. He was admitted in hospital for a few days while his mother was taught how to dress the wound. An MRI and a CT scan were done and he was scheduled for surgery weeks later. While home, his mother continued with the wound dressings as instructed until the leaking stopped. During one of the post-natal clinics, Hassan and his mother were referred to our medical partner's care center, BethanyKids, for treatment. Upon arrival at BethanyKids, Hassan was examined and was additionally diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a build up of fluids in the brain. He was then scheduled for a spina bifida repair surgery, and the mother was told that once he recovered, he would be scheduled for a shunt insertion surgery. Due to financial challenges and a loss of income for Hassan's mother, the family is unable to meet the medical expenses. Without treatment, Hassan is at risk of lower-limb paralysis, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, development of tethered cord syndrome, and possible developmental delays. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Hassan receive treatment. On March 15th, surgeons at BethanyKids will conduct a spina bifida closure surgery to promote Hassan's healthy growth and development. Now, Hassan's family needs help to fund this $1,151 procedure. Hassan’s mother says, “A while back, I had already given up on Hassan's treatment. Because the community had never seen such a condition, I was told that I would always get children who have different medical conditions. After coming to this facility, I realized that this was not the case. My hopes were raised again and now I’m looking forward to the best outcome in Hassan’s treatment.”

Junoir is a student from Kenya, currently he is in fifth grade. He resides in the interiors of Igembe North County and is the eldest child of three. He has twin younger sisters. Junoir and his family live on Junior's grandfather’s land, where his mother grows maize and beans. They have a single room house built of poles and an open kitchen roofed with a polythene paper. Junior's mother uses the money she gets from her daily jobs to pay for her children's school supplies and household necessities. For ten months, Junoir has been experiencing pain in his left groin from a symptomatic hernia. He was taken to the nearby health center where he was treated for an infection. He improved, but the pain recurred. He was referred to a regional clinic, but they did not have transportation. Later Maua Methodist Hospital announced a medical camp near them, and it was a great relief to Junior and also his mother. He was seen by the doctors in the medical camp and referred to the hospital where they found left testicular swelling from the hernia. If not treated, it can progress to intestinal complications. Fortunately, on February 15th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $733 to fund Junoir's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Junior's mother says, "Please help my son so that he can continue with schooling with ease. I believe he has a bright future ahead”.