Dinavence is a small scale farmer. She is married but lives alone and her husband, who is also a small-scale farmer, lives in another district with their children. Dinavence is a mother of seven, with only three living children. 30 years ago, Dinavence began to experience troubling symptoms, including a painless neck swelling that has progressively been increasing in size. She has never visited a doctor for medical attention because she never knew that the condition was treatable. Currently, Dinavence can no longer carry a heavy load on her head such as agricultural produce, and feels uncomfortable while climbing steep slopes and hills. She experiences severe airway blockage while sleeping. One of her friends recently got treated for a similar issue and was able to refer her to Rushoroza Hospital. There Dinavence was diagnosed with a non-toxic goitre and after a review by the surgeon, a thyroidectomy is recommended. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse, but her family cannot afford the cost. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Dinavence receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on October 5th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and she and her family need help raising money. Dinavence says, "I had lost hope of living a normal life again. I pray that I may be considered for treatment so that I may have another chance to live comfortably like others and be able to continue farming.”

Barkot is a nine-month-old baby boy from Ethiopia who loves to play with his parents and with toys. He is his parents' first child. Barkot's father is a salesperson in an electronics shop. The family lives in a rented house, and other relatives help support the family's needs. Barkot underwent a colostomy, where a piece of the colon was diverted to an opening in the abdominal wall. This surgery is often performed to bypass bowel malformations, but colostomies are usually temporary and may require closure. Barkot's colostomy will require closure in order to restore his bowel function and to prevent future complications. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $1,009 to cover the cost of a colostomy closure for Barkot. The surgery is scheduled to take place on September 14th and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Barkot’s father shared, “Barkot’s mother is not working now. When Barkot finishes the surgery and when he can make a stool normally, we hope she will start working. We hope psychologically we will be stable just like before. We hope he can socialize now. We feared socializing with Barkot because of facing stigma and discrimination. We feared people might pick on him when he grows up and we hid him from others to protect him.”

Ny is a 61-year-old rice farmer with one son, one daughter, and four grandchildren. Currently, Ny lives with her husband and her grandchildren. Her husband recently became unable to work, so she and her daughter are working to support the family as a rice farmer and selling food. In her free time, Ny likes to listen to the news on the radio and play with her grandchildren. Three years ago, Ny developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her blurry vision, sensitivity to light, and tearing. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Ny learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for over three hours seeking treatment. On July 19th, doctors will perform a cataract surgery and a lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, CSC is requesting support to help fund this $229 procedure. Ny shares what this surgery means for her, "I hope after surgery I will be able to see my field well and work in an easier way. I can enjoy life with my family."

Hilowie is a social 13-year-old girl, and she is the fourth born in a family of five children. Hilowie is a sixth grade student and likes to read storybooks. Her favorite subjects are English and Kiswahili. Her mother is a businesswoman who has a small shop which she operates in the village, and her father passed away 12 years ago when Hilowie was very young. Hilowie suffered burns when she was only four months old in a house fire. She sustained joint injuries known as contractures on her left hand, and until today the contractures have never improved. Currently, she cannot raise her hand or work at home, and this has greatly affected her studies. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Hilowie receive treatment. On June 28th, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery so Hilowie will be able to use her hand, help around the house, and concentrate on her studies. Now, her family needs help to fund this $840 procedure. “I would love my hand to be straightened so that I can continue with my studies and as well help my mother at home,” Hilowie told us.

Phalla is a 29-year-old construction worker, who is married and has two daughters. His nine-year-old daughter is in 3rd grade and his six-year-old daughter just started school. Phalla's wife works as a farmer. On April 29th, 2021, Phalla was in a motorcycle accident that injured and dislocated his right elbow. He is in pain and unable to move or use his right arm. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help him. On June 2nd, Phalla will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $465. This procedure will restore mobility to his arm so that he can use it normally again. Phalla shared, "I'm hoping I can use my arm better so I can return to work as soon as possible."

Naw Kwee Moo is a 54-year-old woman from the Karen region in Burma, who lives with her husband and their family in a refugee camp. Of her children, three daughters and three sons still live in the refugee camp along with them near the Thai-Burma border. Naw Kwee is a homemaker and her husband is currently too ill to work. Five of their children go to school in the camp, four other children have moved away, and her second oldest son graduated from a post-secondary program in May 2020. He worked as an agricultural day laborer at a nearby Thai village until mid-December 2020. Due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, he was no longer allowed to leave the camp. Naw Kwe’s household receives a monthly cash card to purchase basic rations. Although they receive free education and basic health care in the camp, they shared how hard it is to make ends meet. Starting four years ago, Naw Kwee often went to the camp’s hospital run by Malteser International (MI) Thailand to receive treatment for urinary tract infections (UTI). Most of the time, she would feel better after taking medication, but she was no longer able to work as an agricultural day laborer because of her pain. Over the next few years, she was diagnosed with chronic UTI. “I think my condition was caused from consuming dirty water,” she said. “When I worked as a day laborer, we had no access to clean water.” Naw Kwee received antibiotics through an intravenous (IV) line at the camp’s hospital. When her condition did not improve, a doctor at the camp’s hospital referred her again to Mae Sariang Hospital in March 2020. There she received a urine test and an x-ray of her kidneys, ureters and bladder. She was finally diagnosed with a right kidney stone. After multiple visits, the doctor at Mae Sariang Hospital referred her to Chiang Mai Hospital (CMH) for further treatment. However, Naw Kwee could not travel to CMH for a while due to travel restrictions after the outbreak of Covid-19. Finally, last June medical staff from her camp were able to bring Naw Kwee to Chiang Mai. During her appointment, the doctor scheduled her to undergo an intravenous pyelogram on July 16th, 2020. After she received a diagnostic test, she returned to CMH for her follow-up appointment on November 19th, 2020. During her appointment, she received more tests and it was at her next appointment Naw Kwee was told she needed to undergo multiple rounds of laser treatment to break up the stone in her kidney. She received her first round of laser treatment on February 11th, 2021. Two days later, she developed a fever and could only pass a bit of urine. She also started to experience severe back pain and other troubling symptoms. MI staff took her back to the hospital where she received an ultrasound. The nurse shared with her that after her laser treatment, the stones had broken up and many of them where now stuck in her ureter, creating a blockage. She now needs emergency surgery to remove the stones. Our Medical Partner Burma Children Medical Fund is seeking $1,500 to support her surgery and finally relieve her of her painful condition.

Stephanie is a seven-year-old student from Haiti. She lives with her aunt, uncle, and three cousins in a rural area in far southwestern Haiti. She enjoys going to school and church. Stephanie has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. This condition involves several related defects, including a hole between the two lower chambers of the heart and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. Stephanie will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On April 9th, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will close the hole in Stephanie's heart with a patch and remove the blockage from her valve. Another organization, Akron Children's Hospital, is contributing $17,000 to pay for surgery. Stephanie's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Stephanie's family overseas. Stephanie's aunt shared, "we have been waiting a very long time for this surgery and are relieved it can finally happen!"

Abiudi is a 1-year-old baby boy. He is a charming baby and the last born in a family of five children. Abiudi's family lives in an important agricultural area in the central part of Tanzania, and his parents are small scale farmers of maize, vegetables, and sunflowers They depend entirely on what they harvest from their farm for their daily living and supporting their family. Abiudi has a mass that has developed on his left mandible. The mass first appeared when he was six months old as a small swelling, and has been growing since then. His parents sought treatment for him at a local hospital, and doctors determined the mass needs to be removed. He currently experiences a lot of pain and discomfort. Abiudi traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On March 4th, surgeons will remove the mass, and once recovered he will continue to grow up as a happy, healthy boy. Now, Abiudi's family needs help to raise $724 to fund this procedure. Abiudi’s mother shared, “We have struggled a lot trying to seek treatment for our son, but without success. Kindly help treat our son as he is suffering.”

Isaya is a 16-year-old teenager from Tanzania. He is the firstborn child in a family of three children. Isaya never had the chance to join school due to his parent’s financial challenges. Despite not going to school, Isaya has been a very hardworking young man who helps his father look after the cattle. Isaya was born healthy and his growth has been normal, until last year when he noticed his right leg was bending inwards. He says the bend was very slight but over time it has increased significantly. Isaya has been walking over a long distance in search of green pasture for his father's cattle. However, due to his leg, Isaya can no longer go out with the cattle. Isaya was diagnosed with right genu valgus, or bowleggedness. His leg is bowed inward so that his knees touch. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, he is in pain and discomfort after walking. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Isaya. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 22nd. Treatment will hopefully restore Isaya's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Isaya shared, “I am unable to carry out my daily chores because of my leg. Please help me get this treatment so that I can return home and help my parents.”

Jayden is 2-year-old baby boy from Kiambu County, Kenya. He is the second born in a family of two children. His mother is a housewife, while his father does casual work as a mason. Jayden was born with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. When he was a few months old, his mother noticed that she could not feel his testes, but ultimately the family did not bring him in to a doctor. Recently, his grandmother also noticed this, which led to Jayden being brought to the hospital. There, doctors ordered a scan that showed bilateral undescended testicles, and they recommend Jayden has an orchidopexy surgery to correct the condition. If left untreated, Jayden has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. However, this procedure is costly for Jayden and his family. Jayden's father earns just enough income to support his family's basic needs. He is not able to afford Jayden's surgery, and appeals for financial support. Jayden will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on January 5th. AMHF is requesting $483 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Jayden's mother shared, “Although we don’t go to church, I pray to God that our son may have this support and get successful treatment so that he may have a normal future like other boys.”

Naomi is a 6-year-old girl from Tanzania and the youngest to her mother who has five children. Naomi's father is polygamous with three wives with a total of thirteen children in their family. Her parents have a few cattle which they depend on for daily living. Naomi is a playful girl and always wants to take part in daily home activities, but most of the time she can't due to her disability and how much she struggles using her hand. At the age of four months, Naomi was left by her mother sleeping as she went outside. She had left a fire burning close to the bed to keep their hut warm when Naomi rolled and fell into it. Her mother heard her cry and ran to her rescue. She sustained severe burns around her head and face, left hand, left foot, and around her stomach. Currently, she can’t use her left hand because it has contracted from the burn scar making it impossible for her to straighten and use it. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Naomi receive treatment. On December 1st, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery. She will be able to straighten her hand and use it after she heals from surgery. Now, her family needs help to fund this $874 procedure. Naomi’s mother shared: “My daughter is very hard working but her hand limits her a lot and I feel bad seeing her struggling to carry out her daily life activities. Please help treat her.”