Mitchelle is a 2-month-old baby girl from Kenya with congenital hydrocephalus, or brain swelling. It has been a difficult couple of months for Mitchelle and her family. Two months ago, she was born with swelling on her lower back (spina bifida) which was repaired soon after birth thanks to funds raised by family and friends. Just two months later, Mitchelle has excess fluid in her brain. She needs surgery to help drain the excess fluid and maintain normal intra-cranial pressure in her head. If left untreated, Mitchelle is likely to suffer brain damage, lose her vision, and die at a young age. Between her family's small income from farming and Mitchelle's previous surgery, her parents cannot afford care. With $615, Mitchelle can receive treatment to reduce excess fluid and pressure on her brain and give her a normal, healthy life. “We love Mitchelle and we will appreciate anyone who can help her get treatment," says Mitchelle’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!

Meet Kham, an eight-year-old boy from Thailand who loves to paint and enjoys learning English. Currently, Kham has very blurry vision out of his right eye and has been diagnosed with a detached retina, meaning that the retina has separated from the back of the eye. Burma Border Projects, our medical partner, writes that “without surgery, blindness may result. He has already lost vision in his left eye due to retinal detachment so it's imperative for his future wellbeing he have the surgery.” "Kham grew up in Burma but moved to Thailand a year and a half ago when his family made the decision to leave in search of better work opportunities. His parents are day laborers and earn a very low income of $20 a day between them. They have spent all their savings and have gone into debt trying to raise money for his medical treatment for his left eye in vain.” Kham has stopped schooling in order to get treatment, and though his parents are worried, “they are very hopeful that the surgery to fix his right eye will be a success and will secure him a brighter future." "With treatment, Kham's vision in his right eye will be fully or partially restored. Kham is looking forward to seeing clearly out of his right eye and returning to school. He understands that he has already missed out on a lot of school and will be behind. However, he is very determined to catch up with the class!" For $1500, Kham can get retinal reattachment surgery that will help him see clearly again.