Four year old Mary is the youngest in a family of four. They all live in Kandutura village in Nyandarua county in Kenya. Mary's mother is a homemaker, while her father is a farmer. Although Mary was born healthy and has been thriving at home, her different walking style was recently noticed by her grandmother, who brought it to her mother's attention, back in December 2022. After observing Mary for a year, it was decided to bring her into the hospital for evaluation. After examination, Mary was diagnosed with a condition called Genu valgus, on her left knee. This condition causes the knees to angle towards each other and to touch, when a person stands with their feet and legs together. Mary has now been scheduled to undergo a complex procedure to help her heal on February 5th, at AIC Cure International Hospital. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting your help to fund this $1,224 surgery, which will enable Mary to walk upright, and importantly to enroll in school. “I appeal for support from donors to help my daughter undergo surgery so that she can continue to walk well,” Mary’s mother told us.

Yhair is the third child of his mother and father, who farm and raise cows in a rural area in central Bolivia. Shortly after being born, his mother noticed he struggled to breathe and took him to the doctor. Yhair was diagnosed with coarctation of the aorta, a condition in which the blood vessel leading from the heart is too narrow, causing blood to back up. This can lead to difficult breathing, heavy sweating, and irritability in an infant. Without treatment, it can lead to brain bleed, stroke, and enlarged heart. Our partner International Cardiac Alliance is looking to raise $1,500 to fund surgery for Yhair. During surgery, doctors will open the aorta up to a more normal size. After surgery, he will hopefully have improved breathing and activity tolerance. Yhair's mother shared: "I was very afraid to come to La Paz for the surgery, but I gathered all my courage and I am hopeful everything will be ok."

Eh is a 58-year-old father of two from Burma. Eh became unemployed following a motorbike accident that left his leg weakened. He now relies on his wife, who sells betel nuts and noodles for support. During his free time, Eh enjoys weaving bamboo baskets. Eh has been diagnosed with multiple large gallstones. He has enduring intense right-sided abdominal pain, accompanied by back pain and a diminished appetite. Due to the pain, he also faces trouble sleeping at night. Eh has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, Eh's symptoms will continue to worsen and put him at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Eh is scheduled to undergo his cholecystectomy on September 4th. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of Eh's procedure and care. Eh said, "I stopped working for a year, and I have no income, so I am stressed about my treatment. However, when I learned that BCMF would help me access treatment, I felt very happy. I want to express my gratitude and say thank you to the donors and BCMF for supporting my treatment."

Kalar is a 53-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her mother and daughter in Htantabin Township, Yangon Division village. Kalar used to sell vegetables, but she stopped in October because her condition was worsening. Kalar's mother is a homemaker. Kalar's daughter left school three years ago because she couldn't afford the school fees. Currently, she is working in a restaurant. Their monthly income is not enough for their daily expenses, and they have to borrow money from their friends to make ends meet and pay for basic medical costs. In 2017, Kalar's upper abdomen was in pain, and she went to a hospital in the village. There, she received an ultrasound, and the doctor told her that she had a small stone in her gall bladder and she would need medication to reduce the stone. She felt much better after taking the medication, and she didn't go to any clinic or hospital after that. In October 2023, Kalar's symptoms returned, and she visited the hospital in the town where she received the ultrasound. At the hospital, the doctor confirmed that Kalar had a large gallstone and would require surgery to heal. She could not afford to pay for the surgery, so she received medication and returned home. Her condition gradually got worse. Kalar has not been eating or sleeping well and is in pain. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Kalar will be able to undergo gallbladder removal surgery on November 18th. BCMF requests $1,487 to cover Kalar's procedure and care costs. Kalar said, "I was upset because I couldn't work and support my mother and daughter. Now, I am so happy! I want to say thank you to all of the donors for supporting my surgery."

Levi lives in a mining city in the mountains of central Bolivia, and he loves exploring and trying new things. His parents are both industrial mining engineers. Levi was born with a serious heart condition that leaves him weak and short of breath. Through surgery, doctors can close the hole in his heart so he can continue to be his happy and playful self. Levi's mom shared: "Our family is so relieved to know that it is possible to fix the problem with our son's heart. Thank you."

Kaleb is the only child of his mother and father; they live in La Paz, Bolivia. His father works in construction and his mother is a homemaker. Kaleb was born two months premature with a ventricular septal defect, or a hole between the two lower chambers of his heart. Blood leaks through this hole, leaving the lungs unable to obtain oxygen. This leaves Kaleb weak and short of breath, and making it hard for him to gain weight. Last year Kaleb underwent a surgery to prepare him for the one he currently needs. It stabilized his heart so he could gain some weight in order to safely have the congenital cardiac surgery. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is able to help with his upcoming procedure. Kaleb and his family need help raising $1,500 for his surgery that will take place September 14th. Kaleb’s mother says “Our son has been in and out of the hospital and very sick ever since he was born. We hope he will have a chance to be a normal child after his surgery."

Siek Meng is a 15-year-old who resides in the Prey Veng province of Cambodia with her parents and two younger brothers. Her parents make a living as rice farmers, and when Siek Meng returns home from school, she helps care for her siblings. During her free time, she enjoys learning English by watching English-language films and television shows. She aspires to pursue higher education in the capital of Phnom Penh and study medicine in the future. Around the age of 6, Siek Meng and her parents noticed something concerning about her back. However, they postponed seeking treatment until two years later due to the high cost of treatment and not considering it essential at that time. Unfortunately, the condition has since deteriorated, and she has been diagnosed with scoliosis, a deformity of the spine. In the past year, Siek Meng has experienced increased difficulty breathing as her rib cage presses on her lungs. Additionally, she occasionally feels numbness in her legs caused by her vertebrae compressing nerves. Thankfully, Siek Meng and her father undertook a challenging journey of two and a half hours to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), seeking assistance for her disability. The medical team at CSC plans to perform a spinal fusion with implants on August 2nd, which requires financial support as the operation costs $1500. This amount will cover radiology, medications, surgery, and post-operative physiotherapy care. CSC is requesting $1500 to help fund this procedure for Siek Meng. Siek Meng shared, "I am feeling embarrassed about my back and I want to not have chest pain anymore. I hope after surgery I can go back to school and be able to walk around my village more easily."

Jeremia is a nine-month-old baby boy from the Ngorongoro district in Tanzania. He lives with his mother and over 20 family members in a boma, a type of family-based communal living space where the community provides for each other's basic needs. Jeremia's father works in the production and sale of sandals in the city and sends money to his family. He has been away from home for over a year. Jeremia was born with a birth condition wherein his right leg and foot is twisted inward and downward. After Jeremia’s birth, his mother had little to no understanding of this condition, and she has since lived with concerns about her son’s future. Our medical partner visited Ngorongoro earlier this year to hold outreach clinics. Jeremia's mother attended one of these medical clinics and received education about her son’s condition. She was relieved to hear that treatment options were available to help her son. Jeremia's mother appealed to her church to arrange for transportation to African Mission Healthcare's (AMH) care center in Arusha. Doctors diagnosed Jeremia with clubfoot, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. The medical team will begin clubfoot repair treatment for Jeremia on June 9th. After treatment and as he grows, he will be able to walk more easily, run, and play like any other children. Now, AMH is requesting $935 to fund Jeremia's treatment. Jeremia’s mother says, "I am happy that there is a possibility of treatment. I hope that all will go well and my son will be fine."

27-year-old Naw Lah lives with her husband, their two year old daughter, and other members of their extended family from Burma in a refugee camp across the Thai border. Naw Lah has a small mohinga shop, where she sells the traditional Burmese fish based soup. Her husband is a leader of their church meeting group. Naw Lah is currently expecting her second child. Because she delivered her first child via a Caesarean section - and because she is currently suffering from pre-eclampsia - a dangerous elevation of her blood pressure - her doctors recommend that she deliver via a C-section to ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Naw Lah undergo a C-section on May 17th, at Mae Sariang Hospital. This procedure will cost $1,500, and Naw Lah needs your support to raise this money. Naw Lah said: “Thank you BCMF and donors for helping me. I would love to relocate to another country for a better future for my babies. We are waiting for the chance to go.”