"In 2013, Ann began to experience pain and discomfort in her lower abdomen," says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). "It later began to swell. Currently, she is unable to feed and has difficulty in breathing. Ann has been to numerous hospitals to try and get treatment. However, even at the hospital where she was diagnosed with an ovarian and uterine mass, she could not afford treatment." 48-year-old Ann is a wife and mother of four from Kenya. She currently experiences lower abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, lack of appetite, and swelling of the abdomen due to her mass. Her husband has no source of income, and they have difficulty supporting their children. AMHF tells us that if left untreated, Ann is at risk for the mass becoming cancerous, among other complications such as further growth. She needs a total abdominal hysterectomy to remove her uterus, and relieve her symptoms. The surgery will cost $790. "We expect that a total abdominal hysterectomy for Ann shall remove her ovarian uterine mass alleviating her pain and enabling her to breathe without struggling," AMHF adds. “I can only hope that I will get help so that I can regain my health and be there for my children," shares Ann.

The youngest of three siblings, Zamoyoni is an active and friendly three-year-old boy living in Tanzania. He loves playing in the mud with tin cans and enjoys the company of other children. But a condition called clubfoot prevents him from walking normally. “I know how it feels not to be able to walk on plantigrade,” says Zamoyoni’s father, himself and two of his other children having the same congenital deformity as his youngest son. Clubfoot is a common birth defect and is usually treated at birth. However, if left untreated, Zamoyoni will be at risk of developing early osteoarthritis of the feet. Zamoyoni has been using the lateral aspect of his feet ever since he started to walk. “I am not very old," Zamoyoni's father says, "but there are days when I struggle going to the farm because of pain,” says Zamoyoni’s father when thinking of his Zamoyoni's future with the same condition he has. Zamoyoni’s parents are small-scale farmers, growing and selling maize, sunflower and peanuts; putting together the funds and finding treatment has been a challenge. For $1,160, we can directly fund Zamoyoni's operation and correct the bones in his feet so he can walk. Let’s help Zamoyoni get the care he needs and be the first of his family with clubfoot to walk firmly on both feet!

This is Mahmud, a happy and cheerful one-year-old boy with a keen fascination for musical toys. His parents are young newlyweds in Tanzania; his father works as a laborer in the surrounding farms and his mother works at home. Mahmud has bilateral clubfoot, a congenital disorder which will likely develop into early osteoarthritis if his condition is left untreated. Unable to walk on the soles of his feet, or for his heels to touch the ground, Mahmud needs to be carried around by his mother. "I will be happy to see my son able to walk properly, the ability to walk allows one to perform many other activities," says Mahmud’s mother. Mahmud's family lives in a mud home with a small garden, from which his mother sells vegetables to supplement their income. Mahmud's parents want to help their son receive the medical care he needs, but the cost of treatment is unaffordable. For $1,160 we can fund Mahmud's treatment at the African Mission Healthcare Foundation. The operation will correct the bones in his feet, allowing Mahmud to improve his gait and take his first independent steps. Mahmud will then be able to get around on his own, enabling his mother to continue her education and the family to walk together towards a brighter future. Let's make sure Mahmud keeps on smiling!

“I have not seen a smile on my daughter's face for months now. I just want to see her smile and be healthy again,” says Joan’s mother. Meet Joan, a beautiful two-year-old girl from Kenya. In early October, Joan began experiencing severe headaches and vomiting. Joan’s doctors at our medical partner African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) determined Joan was experiencing a potentially life-threatening brain tumor that requires surgery. They explained, “If the surgery is not done, Joan is likely to lose her ability to walk and possibly her sight.” While her mother takes care of Joan and her siblings, her father does casual jobs to help support the family. Due to lack of resources her parents could not afford specialized care. For $1,205 we can ensure that Joan receives this surgery which will treat her headache and improve her mobility as well as sight. Let’s help ensure Joan survives this tumor and goes back to being her loving, happy self!

"Vivian has been falling sick frequently with her pregnancy," our hospital partner, Lwala Community Alliance, tells us about this 21-year-old wife, mother, and teacher from Kenya. "Her friends nick-named her 'jatuo,' meaning patient." "Vivian is a mother of a 3-year-old boy, and her husband is a hard working farmer who grows maize, beans, vegetables, bananas, carrots, millet, cassavas and sugarcane," Lwala writes. "After harvesting, they store the better part of their farm produce for future use, sell some of it to supplement their needs, and eat the remaining part." But despite their hard work, Vivian and her husband cannot afford a safe delivery for her new baby, which she desperately wants. With a delivery in a hospital, Vivian will be at less risk for maternal death and her child will be less likely to contract early childhood infections. With $290 Lwala will be able to provide Vivian with comprehensive care related to her current pregnancy, including prenatal care, a safe delivery, and postnatal care. Let's help them do that.

“It is our hope that our son will be able to walk properly. He will then be able to herd cattle and feel the same as other children,” says Lekokei’s mother. Meet Lekokei, a one-and-a-half-year-old boy from Tanzania. Lekokei has a unilateral club foot, a condition which causes him to walk on the side of his foot. This is not only painful and prevents him from walking normally, but “he will be at high risk of developing early osteoarthritis of the small bones if not treated," reports our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. Lekokei's parents are livestock keepers. “They earn enough to cover their basic needs but badly need financial assistance to help Lokekei get medical treatment,” relays our medical partner. For $1,160, we can fund an ALMC procedure for Lekokei. The treatment will enable him to talk normally for the rest of his life, as well as prevent early osteoarthritis in the future.

Meet Wideline, a hard-working and kind 14-year-old girl from Haiti! According to our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA), “Wideline lives with her mother, grandmother, aunt, uncle, and several cousins. She is very cheerful and has a great sense of humor. She is very focused on going to college one day, although she doesn’t yet know what she wants to study”. However, Wideline has patent ductus arteriousus, a condition where a hole between the aorta and pulmonary artery remains open, preventing normal circulation through the body. As a result of her condition, Wideline is constantly tired and out of breath. And even though “she loves going to school, she has had to miss many days because of her heart condition” explains HCA. For $1,500, Wideline will receive transportation overseas and preparation for the life-saving surgery that will repair her heart, preventing any further symptoms from her condition. Wideline says “I’m excited to go on an airplane for the first time. I’m going to look out the window the entire time until we arrive!” Let’s help Wideline get back to school and attain her dream of attending college!

Meet Neneng, a 33-year-old mother of four from the Philippines! Neneng cares for her family while her husband works remotely. But lately, her daily work has been difficult because of a painful tumor on her breast. Neneng's pain distracts her from her daily work and makes it difficult for her to take care of her kids. She tells her doctors that she hopes to start her own business selling cheese buns and detergents when she's healthy. For $615, we can fund a lumpectomy procedure to remove Neneng's tumor. This will relive Neneng of her pain and help her get well enough to care for her family. Let's make it happen for her!

This smiley girl is Hun! Hun is a two-year-old girl from Cambodia who enjoys playing with her two older siblings and eating vegetable soup. "Hun was born with left drooping eyelid which will create issues for her vision as she grows," says our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. Hun needs $290 for a surgery that will lift her eyelid to a more normal level, improving her vision. “I want my daughter to be beautiful and normal like other kids and be able to start school without problems,” says Hun’s mother. Let’s help Hun see clearly so she can go to school and live a normal life.

Ma Kyan is 32-year-old mother of two. She has two daughters, aged four and eleven. Ma Kyan lives in Thailand now, but is originally from Burma. She had to move to Thailand to find a job, and she now works in a textile factory. Her daughters stayed behind in Burma, and they live with their grandparents. Ma Kyan has a mass growing in her uterus. It is the source of a considerable amount of pain, and also causes her to faint occasionally. She told our medical partner, Burma Border Projects, that she feels depressed when she thinks about it, and fears for her overall health. Ma Kyan earns about $40 a month, which is spent entirely on food, her daughter’s school fees, and on her accommodations in Thailand. She simply cannot afford any healthcare costs, so she relies on pain medication instead to keep going. The medication offers temporary relief, but does nothing for her long-term. Let’s work together to raise the $865 needed for her surgery. It’ll give Ma Kyan the chance to lead a more normal life, and will allow her to focus on her goal of moving back to Burma to reunite with her daughters.

“I know that God is able, and my little girl can be healed,” Gaelle’s grandmother says. Shortly after four-month-old Gaelle from Haiti was born, her family noticed a gradual swelling in her head. This was accompanied by a fever, vomiting, seizure, and decreased ability to use her arms and legs. Gaelle was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid in the skull that leads to swelling. “They are unable to afford the treatment the baby needs,” Project Medishare (PM) tells us about Gaelle's family. With $1260, the PM team will be able to provide Gaelle with a hydrocephalus shunt replacement to drain the fluid from her brain and potentially save her life. Gaelle’s family is thrilled by the prospect of a successful surgery, and they hope they can return home with a healthy baby. Let’s help give Gaelle the chance to grow and develop into a healthy young girl by funding her care.

"Maung Pi is a ten-year-old boy from a rural village in Burma," Burma Border Projects (BBP) tells us. "When he was two years old he accidentally pulled a pot of boiling water down on himself when his mother wasn't in the kitchen." "For financial reasons, and because there were no hospitals near their village, Maung Pi's parents were unable to take him to get treatment for his burns," BBP writes. "Instead, they had to rely on using traditional oils to heal his scars. As a result, he has severe scar contractures down the left side of his body and his left arm is severely disfigured." BBP is ready to help. With $1500 Maung Pi will receive plastic surgery to release the skin contractures, allow him to be active and less self conscious. "I want to be able to play with my friends without them teasing and making fun of me," Maung Pi says. "After my treatment I will go back to school and I also want to help my parents more on their farm." Funding Maung Pi's care will help turn these dreams and ambitions into viable possibilities.