Choronai is a seven-year-old girl from Cambodia. She lives with her parents, her grandmother, and two older siblings. Choronai's father is a construction worker, while her mother works as a garbage collector. Her grandmother stays home and take care of her grandchildren. When Choronai grows up, she wants to work in a hair salon. At home, she loves to read and enjoys her grandmother's lemongrass soup. Four years ago, Choronai started to experience difficulty swallowing, along with recurrent sore throat and fever. Frequent illness caused her to miss school. Choronai was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause her symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, will perform a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Choronai, which is scheduled to take place on May 1st. This should relieve Choronai of her symptoms and help her live much more comfortably. Choronai and her family are able to contribute $75 but need your help to raise $190 more to fund this procedure. After surgery, she hopes she will be able to eat more comfortably and get better sleep.

Sara is a 17-year-old girl from Colombia who loves to help other people. She graduated from high school this year and now volunteers at a home care center for the elderly. Sara has clubfoot of both feet, a condition in which her feet are twisted out of shape. This causes her difficulty walking. Fortunately, Sara's family traveled to visit our medical partner, Clínica Noel. On February 3rd, surgeons there will perform bilateral clubfoot repair surgery. After recovery, Sara will be able to walk easily and without pain. Now, Clínica Noel, is requesting $1,500 to fund Sara's procedure and care. Sara shared, "my family and I hope that after surgery I'll be able to walk normally, chasing my dreams of helping even more people. We hope that this treatment helps me to reduce my physical limitations."

Scovian is a quiet 6-year-old student and the firstborn in a family of two. She was brought to our clinic by her grandmother who takes care of her. She shared that Scovian's mother is a hawker in a town near her home while her father left the family because of her birth condition. Scovian has clubfoot of both feet. The condition has seriously affected her mobility. Balancing and maintaining her posture is a challenge. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Scovian is stigmatized due to this condition in the village and at school. At school, Scovian is often mocked by other pupils. Due to that, her grandmother escorts her to school every day. Fortunately, Scovian traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on November 22nd. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,286 to fund Scovian's clubfoot repair. After treatment, her self-esteem will be boosted, she will be able to put on shoes, walk well, and engage with friends. Also, she will be able to continue with her studies well. Scovian's grandmother says, “If the surgery is done and is successful, I will be grateful to God.”

Collins is a polite and humble 14-year-old student and the third born in a family of four children. He is in primary school class six and hopes to become a doctor in the future. His mother is a housewife while his father works as a farmer. When he was one year old, while he was crawling, Collins accidentally fell on boiling water in a pan. He was taken to a nearby hospital for first aid for his burns. Now, he has burn scar contractures on his feet and has difficulty walking and running. His condition has affected his self-esteem, because he cannot play with his friends in school and at home. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Collins receive treatment. On October 25th, surgeons at AMH's care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help him wear shoes confidently, walk well, and play with his friends. Now, he needs help to fund this $840 procedure. Collins shared, "I am happy because after the surgery, I will be able to walk, run and play with my mates in school and when I'm home."

Sat is a 33-year-old sandwich seller. He lives with his wife and and two daughters. Their oldest daughter is in grade two and their younger daughter is four years old and not yet in school. At home, he likes listening to music, playing football or watching TV. When he was 10 years old, Sat had an ear infection that caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in both ears to perforate. For this reason, Sat experiences ear discharge, headaches, pain and hearing loss. He cannot communicate clearly with others and has frequent headaches that make work challenging. Sat traveled to our visit our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment. On September 15th, he will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in both ears. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforations. Now, CSC is requesting $913 to fund this procedure. This covers the cost of medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Sat shared that he hopes the surgery will stop the pain and improve his hearing.

Meshack is a young baby and the third born in a family of three children. His mother sells groceries in a local market and his father is a mechanic. His parents work hard to earn a humble income, just enough to provide for the family. Meshack was born a healthy and happy baby. However, a few days later, his mother noticed that he was not passing urine properly. His parents took him to a nearby hospital for examination where he was diagnosed with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of infertility. The doctor referred Meshack to visit BethanyKids Hospital once he turned 7 months old. Once they visited the hospital, he was scheduled to undergo a hypospadias repair surgery. Fortunately, Meshack is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on August 19th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $847 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Meshack’s mother shared, “It is hard for us to even think of raising any money as we cannot afford it, please help us. Thank you for your support.”

Dora is a teenager studying in class six and her best subjects are English and Swahili. Once she completes her studies, Dora has dreams to become a teacher. At home, she is the seventh oldest of her mother's eleven children. Dora's father has three wives, so Dora has twenty siblings total. Dora likes helping her mother with home chores, such as washing dishes and keeping their home clean. Dora's parents are small scale farmers of maize and vegetable, and they also have a few cattle that they depend on for milk. Dora was diagnosed with left genu valgus, a condition typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, her left leg is bowed so that her knees touch, thus making walking difficult. Dora has to walk forty minutes one way to and from school everyday, so this condition poses a significant barrier to Dora continuing her education and pursuing her aspirations. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Dora. The procedure is scheduled to take place on July 15th. Treatment will hopefully restore Dora's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Dora shares her current condition, "When I walk to school my leg pains so much there are days I am unable to put weight on the leg especially when it’s cold. Please help me."

Htoo is a 12-year-old girl who lives with her parents, two older sisters, an older brother and a younger brother in a refugee camp on the Thai-Burma border. Htoo’s father works as a construction worker while Htoo's mother is a homemaker and looks after Htoo's younger brother who is too young to go to school. Htoo and her older siblings study in the camp. Every month, the family receives oil, rice and charcoal rations, but they shared that the rations are unfortunately not enough to cover their daily needs. They also receive free basic health care and education in the refugee camp. In her free time, Htoo likes to play with her friends and help her mother clean. Htoo was born with a small mass in a sensitive area. At the time, Htoo's mother was told not to worry about the mass. However, beginning in 2016, Htoo noticed the mass increasing in size and she could no longer pass urine comfortably. A medic at the camp's hospital examined the mass and determined that it is benign and recommends it is surgically treated for Htoo's comfort and peace of mind. Htoo is receiving treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) and she is scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on June 6th. Now, their family is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Htoo shared, “in the future, I want to finish my schooling and become a teacher in the camp. I want to teach Karen [language].”

William is a hardworking motorbike taxi driver from Kenya. He earns $2.50 daily and lives in a one-room house in Naivasha, costing about $24 a month. His parents are elderly and live nearby on a quarter of an acre piece of land. William suffered femur and distal tibia fractures and is unable to walk and cannot work. Currently, the hospital has admitted him to the respiratory ward since he developed difficulties in breathing. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On May 20th, William will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. These surgeries will enable the bones to heal and he will be able to walk again normally. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. William says, “I don’t have anyone to depend on, I survive on my own through this motorbike taxi business. But with these fractures, I cannot walk or work at all. I need the surgery to normalize my life and be independent again.”

Karduni is a 9-year-old student and the fifth born in a family of six children. He's a friendly and social boy. Karduni is currently in class one, but he's having a hard time walking to school due to his foot being impacted by a fire accident when he was two years old. On the day he was hurt, Karduni's mother was boiling water at an open fireplace while Karduni and his siblings were playing. As they played, Karduni stepped on firewood that was burning in the fireplace tipping the pot and burning his foot with the hot water. His wound healed but left his foot deformed due to the contracture of the skin. Burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around his burn and making it difficult for him to walk. He also is in pain, and his family and community want to see him feeling well and being active. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Karduni receive treatment. On May 20th, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help him walk easily again. Now, his family needs help to fund this $874 procedure. Karduni’s priest says, "Please help Karduni have this treatment, his parents are struggling to make end meet they can never be able to afford his treatment cost."

Tola is a 16-year-old boy from Cambodia. He has one younger brother and one younger sister. His father works as a driver, and his siblings are still in school. In his free time, Tola enjoys playing football and volleyball, singing, listening to music, and meeting up with his friends. After finishing Grade 9, Tola stopped going to school and began working repairing cars in a private garage. One week ago, Tola was in an accident and damaged his left ankle. His relative, who had been to Children's Surgical Centre before, recommended him to visit the center for treatment. Tola presented with pain and swelling on his left ankle, and difficulty with walking. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is helping Tola receive treatment. He is scheduled to undergo a closed reduction procedure on March 9th at our medical partner's care center, which will help to reduce his pain and allow him to walk with ease again. This procedure will cost $412, and he and his family need help raising money. Tola shared, "I hope I can walk again as soon as possible after my surgery."

Isack is 34-year-old from Tanzania and the youngest in a family of six children. One of his older brothers passed away last year due to COVID-19, leaving the family in a tough situation. Before his accident, Isack was working as a driver’s assistant in a truck with his brother, who was the driver. Working as a driver's assistant helped Isack make a living and he was able to support himself. In 2019, however, Isack was involved in an accident which left him with an open wound on his right leg. On the day of the accident, Isack was checking on the truck that was being serviced. As the mechanics were working, gas was unknowingly spilt on Isack's trousers. Afterwards, a match stick caught on Isack's right trouser leg starting a fire. Since then, Isack has not been able to work or support himself due to his leg injury. The wound is not healing, making walking very difficult. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Isack receive treatment. On March 19th, surgeons will perform a skin graft procedure to heal his wound and infection. Now, Isack needs help to fund this $747 procedure. Isack shared, "I am not able to work and support myself because of my leg. My family is currently struggling and they too cannot help due to lack of money. Please help me have my leg treated so that I can work."