Sachin is 11 years old and comes from a large family in Nepal. He has three older sisters and two younger brothers. His parents have a farm that they rely on to support their family. “Sachin has been living with a hernia for a year,” reports our medical partner, Possible. “While it was not problematic for long, it has started hurting now.” A hernia occurs when a weakness in the abdominal wall allows a portion of the intestine to poke through. The pain is interfering with Sachin’s ability to enjoy life; he cannot walk for long and has difficulty urinating. Doctors are concerned that if Sachin’s condition is not treated, it will get worse and may cut off blood circulation in the intestine. To prevent this from happening, Sachin needs surgery. In a hernia repair operation, doctors will make an incision in the groin to push the intestine back into place and and sew the healthy abdominal muscle back together. “Having the surgery will not only prevent Sachin’s hernia strangulation but it will also relieve his discomfort,” explains Possible. With a large family to support, Sachin’s parents cannot afford the surgery. $491 will cover the costs of Sachin's three day hospital stay, the operation, and medicine. “My son is so young, I hope the treatment goes well so that it will not cause any difficulty in the future for him,” says Sachin’s father.

Meet Lemekwetu, a 15-month-old baby boy living in Tanzania with his parents and four siblings. Months ago, Lemekwetu was in a fire accident at home while his parents were farming. “Lemekwetu was taken to the hospital by his parents who are small-scale farmers and livestock keepers,” according to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). “Lemekwetu is unable to walk due to the contracture of his right knee.” AMHF continues, “He crawls when he wants to go somewhere. If not treated, Lemekwetu will be forced to use crutches to support him to move around and that will hinder his ability to play and do other things.” Lemekwetu's parents are small scale farmers. “Their income is small and not stable. They have used up a lot of money at the hospital and now they cannot afford the extra cost of treatment," AMHF shares. $550 will cover the cost of a single contracture release, a procedure that will straighten Lemekwetu’s right leg and allow him to walk properly. “My son wants to walk but he has to support himself with his hands so he ends up crawling,” says Lemekwetu’s mother. “My wish is for his leg to be straight again and allow him to walk and run like other children.”

Melvin is a 16-month-old baby boy from Guatemala. “Melvin has one other brother, who is his favorite person and playmate," shares our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). "Together they play with tiny toy cars and a plastic ball while their mother weaves blouses by hand to sell at the market.” Melvin was diagnosed with acute malnutrition. “His mother reports that when he is sick he barely eats, which also contributes to his malnutrition,” adds WK. After he was seen by doctors, the medical team was able to determine that Melvin’s height and weight fall far below the normal average for his age. Melvin’s symptoms include a fever and diarrhea. WK says, “His immune system is very weak, and he is at risk of the long-term effects of malnutrition.” These long-term effects have profound consequences for the developing brain; children who are stunted have a low IQ and miss major developmental milestones. As adults, these limitations can affect their earning potential and put them at risk for developing diabetes, heart disease and obesity. $535 will fund the treatment that Melvin requires. Melvin’s will be enrolled in a recuperative nutrition program for one to four months. As part of his treatment, Melvin will get micronutrient supplements and an evaluation to look for infections and disease. Melvin’s family will be assigned a case manager and nutritionist to provide regular educational and health visits to their home. This hands-on care will ensure that Melvin’s family learns how to combat malnutrition. Melvin’s treatment will allow him to recoup his height and weight, and live a healthy and productive life. His mother says, “Thank you for supporting us and supporting Melvin. We have so little right now.”

24-year-old Pao is a first-year university student from Cambodia who enjoys reading books and playing volleyball. “Since birth, Pao has had strabismus in each eye, causing him to be shy about his appearance,” our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), tells us. “Pao feels shy around his friends and does not feel confident about finding a job.” Strabismus, more commonly known as “crossed eyes,” is a condition in which the eyes are misaligned. The condition occurs when the six muscles controlling movements of the eyes do not work together. As a result, the eyes do not look at the same object at the same time, and the brain receives two different images to interpret. With $290 in funding, Pao can undergo surgery in which an ophthalmologist detaches and repositions the eye muscles to realign his eyes. Funding also pays for a three-day hospital stay, antibiotic therapy, pain medicine, and eye drops. After treatment, Pao looks forward to being able to study more effectively at school and to finding a job to support himself and his family.

"Kishumwi is a happy and friendly six-year-old boy," says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). His parents are livestock keepers who herd cattle in Tanzania, and Kishumwi is the youngest of four siblings. Two years ago when Kishumwi's father was looking for a school for his son to attend, Kishumwi got very sick. "He kept getting weaker and his left leg started to bend inwards," AMHF tells us. Doctors diagnosed him with a condition called genu valgus, also known as knocked knees. Kishumwi is now unable to walk properly and sometimes complains of pain in his left leg that goes all the way up to his hip. This is caused by abnormal bone development, and in Tanzania a major cause is due to an excess of flouride in the water. When Kishumwi first developed symptoms, "his parents gave him some herbs, which didn't help his leg, but after some time he was able to walk with a funny gait," explains AMHF. "With three children going to school and other extended family members looking up to Kishumwi's parents for support, coming up with enough cash to cover the cost of Kishumwi's operation has been difficult." "Despite his inability to walk properly, Kishumwi likes to socialize with other children, playing football and other outdoor games when he does not feel pain," says AMHF. He even will help his parents with their livestock work. $940 will pay for Kishumwi's treatment, which is a combination of surgery and casting to cut and realign his bones and joint. This will allow him to walk properly and pain free without knocking his knees, and will reduce his risk of developing osteoarthritis at a young age. Despite Kishumwi's condition, his family does not lose sight of the importance of education. "Kishumwi is my only son and I will be happy to see him able to walk properly. I still plan to take him to school," says Kishumwi's father.

Meet Sukraraj, a nine-year-old boy who lives in Nepal with his parents and four older siblings. “Sukraraj studies in the third grade and is a bright student,” shares our medical partner, Possible. “He enjoys reading Nepali stories and playing with marbles. His favorite food is rice and curry.” “Sukraraj has been living with a right inguinal hernia for a few months now,” reports Possible. “Although initially it did not make much of a difference, it has been paining for a while now.” $490 will cover the cost of a hernia repair for Sukraraj—surgery that will not only prevent hernia strangulation, but will also relieve his discomfort. Let's help Sukraraj attain the treatment he needs to live a healthy childhood.

Shankar is a three-year-old boy living in Nepal with his two older brothers, mother, and grandmother. His grandfather and father work in a factory in India. According to our medical partner, Possible, "Shankar enjoys playing football with his siblings and his favorite food is rice." “Shankar was playing on a tree near his house when he fell down and fractured his right femur,” Possible explains. “His leg has swollen and he cries from pain whenever his posture is changed. He cannot walk properly or do other everyday activities getting dressed on his own.” $225 will cover the cost of an orthopedic repair for Shankar’s fracture. This procedure, with the help of physiotherapy, will allow Shankar to move about and return to all of the activities that he could do before the accident. “I want Shankar to be free of pain; he has been crying so much,” shares Shankar’s grandmother.

Meet Jennie, a one-month-old baby girl from Haiti. Jennie was born with hydrocephalus—a buildup of fluid within the brain. According to our medical partner, Project Medishare (PM), “A couple days after Jennie was born she started vomiting after taking the breast. She cries a lot and her head is soft and a little bit swollen. Her mother decided to take Jennie to the hospital, but it was not equipped and referred them to our facilities, where they performed a CT scan and determined that surgical intervention was required.” If left untreated, Jennie could experience brain damage, physical and mental delays, pain, dizziness, or even death. “Jennie is the third kid in her family and her mother is the only one fighting to raise the kids. Jennie's father doesn't have a job; he hardly supports Jennie’s mother, and he cannot take care of the family. Jennie’s mother is a babysitter and she used to do laundry to make some additional money to help her kids," PM shares. With $1,260 in funding, Jennie will undergo a procedure called a hydrocephalus shunt placement, in which the excess fluid will be drained from her brain cavities and a shunt will be placed to keep fluid from building up. PM reports that Jennie has very high chances of making a full recovery. PM shares, “After the surgery she will be able to live a healthy life.”

Meet Chanty, a 31-year-old man from Cambodia. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), tells us, “Chanty works as a salesperson at a cosmetic store. In his spare time he enjoys reading books.” Currently, however, Chanty is having trouble enjoying his books and other aspects of life. CSC explains, “Chanty has had strabismus, or a misaligned eye, for twenty years. When he was 11, he had abscesses on his left eyelid, which caused it to begin crossing. This has made him partially blind.” Having his eye crossed not only makes it difficult for Chanty to walk, but also makes him self-conscious about his appearance. With $290 in funding Chanty will receive surgery to correct his vision. During surgery Chanty’s eyes will be aligned by shortening, lengthening, or changing the position of one or more of the eye muscles. Funding also covers three days of postoperative care to ensure Chanty’s safe recovery. CSC reports that following his procedure, “Chanty's eyes will be aligned and his vision will improve. His overall appearance will improve.” CSC shares, “Chanty hopes he can be good looking and do his job very well after treatment. He hopes not to be shy with people anymore.”

Meet Mary Lady, a seven-year-old girl who lives with her mother in the Philippines. When Mary Lady isn’t in school, she is expressing herself through her drawings or playing with some friends. Mary Lady has had some gastrointestinal issues in the past, which caused her to get a portion of her colon removed. Following this procedure, Mary Lady had to get a colostomy bag which collects stool outside of her body. Mary Lady is often bullied in school because of the smell that comes from her colostomy bag. She has also been having recurrent infections around the area where the bag is located. Mary Lady’s intestinal issues have been linked to Hirschsprung’s disease, a congenital disorder in which some nerves that allow the colon to contract and relax do not form. If she does not receive treatment for this disorder, she will have to wear a colostomy bag for the rest of her life. Fortunately, Hirschsprung’s disease can be treated with anal surgery. According to our medical partner, International Care Ministries, “The treatment will create a normal passage of stool for Mary Lady so that after it, she can have a complete treatment. After the treatment, she will be able to have another surgery that would close the colostomy.” For $965, all of Mary Lady’s surgical expenses will be covered, including seven days of hospital stay. “I am hoping and praying that my daughter will receive complete healing through your help, and that she will be able to live a normal life just like any other kid,” shares Mary Lady's mother.

“Elia is a cute, 15-month-old baby boy,” shares our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Elia lives with his parents in Tanzania, where his mother is a homemaker and his father works as a livestock keeper. “Elia was diagnosed with hydrocephalus when he was three months old and a shunt was inserted,” AMHF tells us. “Recently the shunt stopped functioning as it should which is causing problems for Elia.” With $775 in funding, Elia will receive shunt revision surgery to save his eyesight and prevent other medical problems. “Elia often cries and has on and off fevers,” says AMHF. Surgery will allow Elia to regain his strength and allow him to continue learning and growing. “My son was doing so well,” shares Elia’s mother. “I pray that he will get better and continue with normal growth.”

Meet Phillis, a 39-year-old woman who lives in Kenya with her husband and four children. Phillis tends to their small farm and her husband does casual jobs whenever they're available. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) shares that Phillis has uterine fibroids. "In May 2015, Phillis started experiencing heavy bleeding accompanied by lower abdominal pain. Two weeks ago, Phillis developed severe bleeding and now has anemia with severe body weakness and dizziness." "If not operated, Phillis will continue to bleed leading to more severe anemia, which may even lead to unplanned death," AMHF adds. "The fibroids growth may also affect surrounding body organs." AMHF recommends that Phillis have a total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), which is a removal of the uterus. $790 will provide Phillis with fund the TAH that Phillis needs. After the surgery, AMHF expects "Phillis will recover fully. She will be able to take care of her family and work on their farm." "I am so desperate and I am afraid of dying. The bleeding is too much and it has been very difficult to cook for my children and work on our small farm," Phillis shares. "I hope to have a successful operation so that I can be safe and strong again to care for my children."