Three-year-old Robinson lives with his mother, father, and twin brother in Tanzania. He enjoys playing with his cars and with other children. Robinson’s mother brought him to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), seeking treatment for hypospadias, a condition in which the opening of the urethra is not centrally located at the tip of the penis. In Robinson’s case, “the opening is to the anterior side,” explains AMHF. Robinson was diagnosed with hypospadias at two months old after his father noticed that he had an irregular urine flow. Doctors informed his parents that he would need surgery, but the procedure would not be performed until after his second birthday. Now, Robinson is old enough to undergo hypospadias repair. A surgeon will take tissue grafts from the foreskin or from the inside of the mouth to extend the length of the urethra so that it opens at the tip of the penis. “If not treated,” says AMHF, “as an adult, Robinson will have fertility problems.” Robinson’s mother is a small-scale farmer who grows onions and rice, and his father is a sheik. Together, they earn enough to pay for the family’s basic needs, but they have had difficulty raising enough money to pay for the surgery that Robinson needs. $837 covers the cost of Robinson’s surgery as well as the costs of 10 days of hospital care after surgery, lab work, imaging, and medicine. After surgery, “Robinson will be out of the risk of having fertility problems as an adult,” AMHF tells us. “I really hope my son will be well, get a good education, and later on have his own family,” said Robinson’s mother.

Seven-year-old Khin is a first grade student at her school in Burma. She enjoys learning and wants to be a medic when she grows up. “Approximately five months ago, Khin’s father noticed that she was having vision problems and that her left eye was not focusing on the object of sight,” our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), tells us. “Problems with her vision have affected her ability and attendance at school.” Diagnostic testing revealed that Khin has an optic glioma, a tumor in the nerve that carries visual signals from the eye to the brain. Khin’s vision loss is a result of the tumor growing and pressing on the nerve and nearby structures. Treatment for Khin is surgery to remove the tumor. Khin’s father farms rice and vegetables on the family’s two acres of land. He also works as a day laborer to supplement their income from vegetable sales, but the work is irregular. Medical care for Khin’s mother has left the family in debt, leaving no money to pay for Khin’s surgery. With $1,500 in funding, Khin can undergo surgery to remove the tumor. Funding also pays for outpatient visits before and after surgery and 15 days of hospital care. “With treatment,” shares BBP, “Khin will be able to return to school, which she enjoys very much.” “I hope that my daughter will be able to have surgery and then will go on to finish her schooling and eventually attend higher education,” says Khin’s mother. Let’s help make that happen!