Theara is a 15-year-old girl who lives with her grandparents and her younger brother. Theara's grandparents have taken on the primary caregiver role, while her parents work in a factory a few hours away, regularly sending money to support their family. Theara was born with cerebral palsy, resulting in musculoskeletal difficulties, but she can still independently walk short distances and ride a bike. She loves biking with the kids in the village, and enjoys eating mangoes and watermelon. However, Theara has been experiencing crouch gait, a walking pattern characterized by excessive bending of the knees during the stance phase of walking. Over the last several months, she has struggled with difficulties in walking, sitting, and sleeping comfortably. Theara was referred to our medical partner, Children's Surgery Centre. On March 7th, Theara will undergo osteotomy surgery to ease her discomfort and improve her mobility. Theara's family is requesting for your help to support the $469 procedure. Theara expressed her hope for better health so that she can participate in a local schooling program designed for children with disabilities.

Happiness's baby is a newborn who is barely two weeks old. Happiness and her husband, James, have been blessed with a new baby, expanding their family to two children. They reside in Morombo, located in the Arusha region of Tanzania. Happiness is a stay-at-home mother managing the household and caring for their children, while James works diligently on their farm to provide food and sells surplus harvests for additional income. In addition to farming, James seeks casual day jobs to supplement their finances, yet despite their efforts, they find their income insufficient to cover all expenses. At times, they struggle to afford medical bills, particularly when faced with a poor harvest, making providing adequate meals for the family challenging. Happiness's baby was born with clubfoot of both feet, causing his feet to twist inward and downward. Concerned for their son’s future, the parents sought advice from the attending doctor, who recommended seeking treatment, as the condition is treatable. They were referred to our medical partner's care center for help. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Happiness traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. There, the team will begin clubfoot treatment on February 16th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $935 to fund Happiness's baby's clubfoot repair. After treatment and as he grows, the baby will be able to wear shoes and walk properly. Happiness says: “I want my baby to grow up with normal feet and never bear the burden of the condition he is born with.”

The birth of twins Jane and her sister brought joy to their parents. She is the 4th born in a family of five. She is a bright grade 1 student who likes reading, drawing and colouring. Her family hails from a small village, and both her parents are farmers. Soon after birth, her parents discovered the challenge of Jane being born with multiple birth conditions: Bilateral clubfeet, hydrocephalus, and spina bifida. They shared that they were quite shocked as they had not heard or experienced any of them before. Treatment for hydrocephalus and spina bifida required a collaborative effort between orthopaedic specialists and neurosurgeons. At ten days, she underwent a spina bifida surgery at a local hospital to address the neural tube defect affecting her spine and then hydrocephalus. Jane is a resilient girl and has overcome so much, carrying a big smile on her face. She now needs treatment for her clubfoot condition as her feet are bent inward, hindering her mobility. She is scheduled to undergo surgery, which will be impactful to her because she will be able to walk confidently like other children and continue with her education. “My desire is to see my daughter walking well and any kind of help is greatly appreciated,” Jane’s mother told us.