Saitoti is an eight-day-old infant from a family of five children in Tanzania. His father passed away last year, and his mother lives alone with the children. Shortly after Saitoti's birth, his mother noticed that something was wrong and took him to our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. He was diagnosed with spina bifida, a defect in which the spinal cord is exposed through a gap in the backbone. If left untreated, Saitoti is at risk of acquiring infections and paralysis of the lower limbs. Fortunately, his repair surgery is scheduled for January 16. Saitoti's mother is currently unemployed and is therefore unable to pay for the surgery. For this reason, our medical partner is requesting $1,200 to fund the treatment. "I hope that my child will be able to grow like other children and go to school," Saitoti's mother says.

Rebecca is 10-year-old child from Uganda. Recently, she has been sick with fever and vomiting. Rebecca was taken to our medical partner's care center, Bwindi Community Hospital. There, she was diagnosed with malaria and scheduled to begin treatment on January 16. Our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation, is asking for $120 to fund Rebecca's hospital stay fees, medication, lab tests, and medical supplies. Rebecca's parents are small farmers. They grow millet, beans, groundnuts, and cassava. For extra income, Rebecca's father picks tea for the local tea factory. During their leisure time, her parents enjoy listening to the radio, especially health programs. They have contributed $7 to help fund their daughter's medical needs. After treatment, Rebecca is looking forward to going back to school, where she is in fourth grade. For fun, she enjoys skipping rope, reading books, and playing football. Rebecca's father, Herbert, is looking forward to taking Rebecca back to school when she is better. Rebecca’s father would like to thank all the donors for supporting his daughter's treatment. “I will ask God to bless the donors for all the help they are giving,” Herbert says.

Sophavy is a 50-year-old wife and mother of two children from Cambodia. In her free time, she likes to watch the news and Korean and Khmer dramas, cook for her family, and plant crops at home. Two years ago, Sophavy developed a cataract in each eye, which causes her blurred vision and cloudy lenses. As a result, it is difficult for her to see things clearly and do any type of work. Sophavy knew about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), because her sister had had surgery there before. She traveled nine hours with her aunt to reach CSC and receive treatment. She will undergo a phacoemulsification procedure, which will remove the cataracts, and an intraocular lens implant, which will replace the natural lenses with artificial lenses. These procedures will allow her to see clearly again. The treatment is scheduled for January 1, and our medical partner is requesting $292 to fund the surgery. "I hope that I can see everything more clearly than now so that I can continue my work and plant crops at home easily to support my family," says Sophavy.

Kim Hong is a four-year-old boy from Cambodia. He is an only child and lives with his godparents. He is in kindergarten and enjoys playing with toy cars and riding his bike. Kim Hong was born with cataracts in both of his eyes, making it hard for him to see clearly. Kim Hong traveled two hours with his godparents to our medical partner's care center, Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, which they learned about from a former patient. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is asking for $292 to cover the cost of Kim Hong's lensectomy surgery, intraocular lens implants, hospital stay, and medication fees. "I hope with surgery my godson will see more clearly, so that he can continue his studies and play with his friends like a normal kid," Kim Hong's godmother says. "I want him to have a good life in the future."

Mariana is a 39-year-old woman who is pregnant with her ninth child. She lives with her husband, Barnard, and their eight children in a small house in rural Uganda. Seven of the children are in school, and Mariana and Barnard have difficulty paying their tuition. Both Mariana and Barnard are subsistence farmers who grow cassava, beans, sorghum, yams, and groundnuts to feed their family. Barnard also picks tea leaves to earn money. Mariana enjoys worshiping God, weaving mats and baskets, and chatting with friends in local village groups. Mariana’s doctors consider her pregnancy high-risk. On November 30, she will begin to receive supplements and attend antenatal checkups and health education classes. She will deliver her baby in the hospital, and her baby will be examined by a midwife. After birth, Mariana and her baby will be monitored by the hospital staff. Mariana has contributed $8 to her care. For an additional $241, we can fund the remainder of this care. Mariana is looking forward to nursing her child. Mariana shares, "I thank donors for supporting my safe delivery at the hospital, and I appeal to them to always support the needy. God bless the donors!”

Leab is a 57-year-old housewife with two sons, four daughters, and five grandchildren. She is from Cambodia. About six months ago, Leab developed a cataract in each eye, causing her blurred vision and cloudy lenses. It is difficult for her to see clearly, recognize faces, do any work, and go outside on her own. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), has recommended a cataract surgery that will replace the lenses in Leab's eyes. CSC has requested $292 for her operation. The surgery will take place January 17. After the procedure, Leab will be able to see clearly again. "I hope to see everything more clearly than now," Leab says, "so that I can easily do my housework, cook, clean, take care of my grandchildren, and go anywhere outside by myself."

Sothea is an eight-year-old first grader from Cambodia. She has two younger sisters and enjoys playing games. Sothea and her mother traveled one hour to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment. Sothea has been diagnosed with rhinopharyngitis, an inflammation of the areas behind the nose and mouth. She developed hypertrophy of the tonsils, which caused her tonsils to enlarge. Sothea was treated at a hospital in Phnom Penh, but she still experiences throat pain and difficulty swallowing. Surgeons at CSC will remove Sothea's tonsils and adenoids on January 12. This procedure will relieve her of pain and allow her to feel comfortable again. CSC is requesting $221 in funding. "I hope that after the operation my daughter can eat well, sleep and be in good health," says Sothea's mother.

Meet Tabitha, a single mother of two children who lives with her cousin in Kenya. Tabitha washes clothes for a living. In November of 2016, during a routine screening, doctors discovered Tabitha had some abnormal cells in her cervix. She had a biopsy done in December. After the biopsy, doctors recommended she undergo surgery to remove the abnormal cells, which can be a precursor to cervical cancer. Without treatment, Tabitha is at risk developing cancer. Fortunately, Tabitha is scheduled to undergo surgery on January 12. She cannot afford healthcare, so she is asking for help to fund this $156 procedure. Tabitha says, “I want to be treated to avoid getting cancer of the uterus."

Talent is a 17-year-old young woman from Uganda. She has six siblings, and she lives with her parents, who are small farmers. She helps her parents grow crops, including millet, beans, pumpkins, and corn. Talent is pregnant with her first child. She visited our medical partner's care center, Bwindi Community Hospital. Because she is young, Talent's doctors consider her pregnancy to be high-risk. They recommend that she receive medical attention before, during, and after labor to ensure a safe delivery. On January 1, she will begin to receive supplements and attend antenatal checkups and health education classes. She will deliver her baby in the hospital, and her baby will be examined by a midwife. After birth, Talent and her baby will be monitored by the hospital staff. Our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation, is requesting $241 to fund her care. After giving birth, Talent hopes to go back to school. She wants to name her baby Natukunda ("God loves us"). “I thank the donors who are paying for my daughters’ prenatal clinic visits and hospital delivery to have a safe delivery," says Talent's mother. "May God bless you.”

Leah is a 17-year-old expectant mother. She lives with her husband, Ronald. Leah grows food to support their family, while Ronald works on building sites. During her free time, she enjoys weaving mats, listening to the radio, and visiting friends and relatives. Because she is young, Leah's doctors consider her pregnancy to be high-risk. They recommend that she receive medical attention before, during, and after labor to ensure a safe delivery. On December 3, she will begin to receive supplements and attend antenatal checkups and health education classes. She will deliver her baby in the hospital, and her baby will be examined by a midwife. After birth, Leah and her baby will be monitored by the hospital staff. Leah's family is subsidizing $8 of the treatment cost, but they need help to raise an additional $241. Leah looks forward to nursing her baby and sending him or her to school. She also hopes to continue with her farming. “I thank the donors for supporting the poor who struggle for quality treatment but cannot afford it," shares Leah. "I pray for blessings to the donors for all they do to help the needy.”

Veasna is a 14-year-old boy from Cambodia. He has one older sister and two older brothers. In his free time, he likes to play football and do housework. A year ago, Veasna developed an ear infection in his right ear, which caused his eardrum to perforate. As a result, he experiences ear discharge, hearing loss, and tinnitus, or a ringing or buzzing in the ear. He traveled for five hours with his sister to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment. ENT surgeons at CSC will perform a myringoplasty procedure in Veasna's right ear to repair his eardrum and heal his infection. The treatment is scheduled for January 11 and will allow Veasna's hearing to improve over time. Our medical partner is requesting $399 to fund the surgery.

Brenda is a 15-year-old girl who is expecting her first child. She lives with her grandmother, Jeninah, and her siblings. During her free time, Brenda enjoys dancing, telling stories to her siblings, and teaching them how to weave mats and baskets. Jeninah is a subsistence farmer who grows ground nuts, beans, millet, and maize. Because she is young, Brenda's doctors consider her pregnancy to be high-risk. They recommend that she receive medical attention before, during, and after labor to ensure a safe delivery. On November 29, she will begin to receive supplements and attend antenatal checkups and health education classes. She will deliver her baby in the hospital, and her baby will be examined by a midwife. After birth, Brenda and her baby will be monitored by the hospital staff. "I am grateful to the people who are supporting her treatment," says Brenda's grandmother.