“Josue loves to play with little plastic cars on the patio of his house,” shares our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). At 14 months old, Josue is the youngest of seven children. His mother cares for the children at home while his father has a construction job to support the family financially. “Josue has asthma,” reports WK. “Since he was born he has been unable to be very active because of frequent attacks. His mother is constantly afraid that one day he will stop breathing because the attacks are so strong and she feels there is nothing she can do.” Asthma is a condition affecting the lungs. Sensitivity in the lungs causes frequent spasms that make it difficult to breath regularly. If Josue’s asthma goes untreated, he will continue to experience these attacks, which could worsen over time. To treat Josue’s asthma, doctors will provide him with a nebulizer, a device that allows him inhale medicine to improve his lung function. This treatment will help prevent Josue’s asthma attacks and treat them when they happen, so Josue can be active and play with other children without worrying about an attack. “Basically, this treatment will give Josue the opportunity to just be a child,” shares WK. $595 will pay for the nebulizer and medication Josue needs. His mother is looking forward to the changes the treatment will make on Josue’s life. “I am so sad his lungs are weak,” she shares. “They hold him back so much. I hope you will help us.”

Meet Thi Dar, a 43-year-old mother of four from Burma. “Thi Dar lives with her husband, three sons, and one daughter,” shares our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). “Her husband works as an agricultural day laborer, and she sells fried snacks outside of her house. Her oldest daughter is 12 years old and has had to stop school due to family financial problems. Her other three children are still studying in primary school.” Thi Dar has a uterine myoma, a noncancerous, fibrous growth within the tissue of the uterus. “Currently, Thi Dar has abdomen pain and body aches. She is worried about her condition and also worried about her financial problem,” reports BBP. “She has had to stop working and now depends on her husband’s salary, which isn’t enough to cover their living costs.” For $1500, Thi Dar will receive a total abdominal hysterectomy to remove her uterus and strengthen her pelvic floor, resolving her painful symptoms. This cost includes pre and post-surgical outpatient visits, hospitalization, transportation, and food. “Following treatment, Thi Dar should be able to go back to work selling snacks outside of the house, and she can take care of her children,” continues BBP. “She shouldn’t have any more abdominal pain or worries from her condition.” Thi Dar is eager to regain her strength. She tells us, “I want to get healthy and be able to support my family again.”

“Blessings is really a blessing to me. I love him so much that I would be a more blessed mother if I ever see him responding to treatment and growing just like any normal child,” shares Blessings' mother. Meet Blessings, a newborn baby boy from Malawi. He has a condition known as hydrocephalus, which is caused by a buildup of cerebral spinal fluid in the brain. Blessings has difficulty feeding as a result of the pressure in his head. “He is malnourished, cannot sit, and is experiencing sight problems,” explains our medical partner, World Altering Medicine (WAM). $992 will fund Blessings’ procedure and post-operative medication, including antibiotics. After surgery to insert a shunt in his head and drain the fluid, "the pressure in the head will normalize and his head will return to normal size,” adds WAM. With your help, this treatment will allow Blessings to develop into a healthy young boy who can play and interact with other children his age.

"Elvis is the only child to his young mother," says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). "His mother dropped out of school mid last year when she became pregnant." "Elvis' father denied responsibility and abandoned his mother when he realized that she was pregnant," AMHF continues. "Elvis’ mother solely depends on her pastoralist parents for her needs and those of her son. They all live in a grass-thatched, mud-walled traditional hut." Elvis was born with spina bifida, a leaking mass on his lower back along his spinal cord. A friend of Elvis' mother told her about Watsi's partner upon hearing of his need for treatment. “Elvis is at high risk of developing infection in the exposed nerves and tissues,” AMHF tells us. “He is also at a risk of developing tethered cord that can lead to either scoliosis or kyphosis.” For $805, we can fund Elvis’s spina bifida closure surgery. Treatment will close the mass on his lower back and reduce his risk of infection. “I want my son to be healthy,” Elvis’s mother tells us. “I hope that one day I will be able to go back to school so that Elvis and I can have a better future!”

Juana is a one-year-old who's been diagnosed with malnutrition. Her family has been unable to seek medical help on her behalf because of their limited resources. Juana is continuing to lose weight and will miss pivotal developmental stages if her condition is left untreated. For $525, Juana and her family will receive intensive home health assistance and nutrition coaching to help them to manage the resources they have. In addition she will receive nutrient supplementation for several months in order to move toward a healthy developmental trajectory.

Lidiya is a 13-year-old girl with Blount’s disease, a common condition that causes the tibia bone to angle inward and results in a “bowed leg.” Because of her condition, Lidiya is unable to walk, run, or play like any other 13-year-old can. Luckily, Lidiya can have surgery to correct the alignment of her leg. Her doctors say that with successful surgery, “we hope to help her move on with life.” Lidiya is an active girl who tries to remain positive despite her condition. She loves to play outdoors, but she’s tired of being uncomfortable and teased. We hope we can raise enough money to cover the cost of Lidiya’s surgery and help her live a normal life.