Wishes is a 5-year-old who hails from a village in Lilongwe District. She is the last born in a family of 3 children and is a bright young student in primary school. Wishes’ parents depend on small-scale farming where they grow maize and groundnuts for their family to eat and for commercial purposes to support the family. Since she was born, Wishes has been experiencing a painful abdomen, vomiting, frequent diarrhea, and feeling weak. Her mother has been taking her to Nkhoma Hospital where she was advised to come back to meet a surgeon for assessment. Wishes was diagnosed with a periumbilical hernia, and she was scheduled to undergo hernia repair surgery at Nkhoma Hospital. However, her parents cannot afford the surgery although they hope to have their daughter undergo surgery. This condition has had a negative impact on Wishes’s life as she feels abdominal pain and cannot go to school when this happens, therefore, affecting her school performance. If the condition is left untreated, it may lead to strangulation which can be life-threatening. Wishes is scheduled for hernia repair surgery on February 13th. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is requesting $421 to fund surgery. After surgery, Wishes will be relived of pain and she will be able to attend school without any hindrances from the condition. Wishes’ mother says, “Thank you for this opportunity that has brought new hope to my daughter.”

Martha is a 39-year-old mother from Kenya, the sole caregiver of her three children. Her daily work involves doing manual laundry for members within her community to support her family. Martha is very social and enjoys spending time with friends. On 17th March, Martha was crossing the road near her home when she was hit by a speeding vehicle. She sustained injuries on the left side of her body from her head, neck and hand, and an X-ray showed a closed fracture on her tibia and fibula (lower leg fractures). A CT scan of the head was done, and luckily there was no bleeding or skull fracture, only soft tissue injuries. The surgeon recommended an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) procedure, which is a type of surgery used to stabilize and heal a broken bone. Unfortunately, Martha is unable to pay for this treatment. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Martha receive treatment. On March 21st, Martha is scheduled to undergo ORIF which will aid in joining the bones together and reduce the pain, restoring the functionality of her leg. The procedure will also prevent complications like malunion, or deformity. Now, Martha needs help to fund this $1,049 procedure. Martha says, "I will appreciate the assistance very much. I have no one to help me and help my children, so I appeal for support so that I can receive treatment, be able to walk again and resume my duty of taking care of my children.”

Pheak Tra is an 18-month-old living in Kandal province with his parents, grandparents, and three siblings. Pheak Tra's mom works in a nearby clothing factory and his dad is a rice farmer. His grandparents help care for the children, and Pheak Tra is the only child not in school yet. His favorite things are milk, fish soup, and playing with his siblings. Pheak Tra was born with radial club hand, a rare birth defect characterized by a hand that turns inward toward the body, and an absent thumb. Pheak Tra's function in his left hand is limited, which makes it hard to play with his toys and carry out everyday activities. His parents have been worrying about how and when to treat him, due to the fear of the costs. Pheak Tra and his grandma traveled to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) for help. On February 1st, he will undergo a tendon procedure under the care of visiting specialists from Singapore and a small team of Cambodian surgeons as part of an ongoing nerve and tendon surgical training program. After surgery, Pheak Tra will have improved function in his hand. Pheak Tra's grandma shared, "We want him to be able to do things with his brother and sister, and to be able to use his hand when he starts school in the future."