“Mourine is wrapped up in warm clothing and she peeps out once in a while to catch a glimpse of who is talking,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), as they speak with Mourine’s mother. “Her innocent bright eyes display hope for tomorrow and urge to see more of this world.” Mourine, an eight-month-old girl from Kenya, has a posterior encephalocele, a rare condition in which the bones of the skull do not close completely. This creates a gap through which cerebral spinal fluid, brain tissue, and the membrane covering the brain can protrude into a sac-like formation. “Her mother, who is a single mom, has to endure all the questioning eyes directed at her daughter and the whispers whenever she moves, and this greatly disheartens her,” continues AMHF. The swelling causes Mourine great pain when touched, and if left untreated Mourine may experience mental and growth retardation, seizures, and uncoordinated movement of voluntary muscles that could affect rudimentary skills such as walking and reaching. “Mourine is the only child to her mother, who was abandoned when she was pregnant,” shares AMHF. They live with Mourine’s grandparents in Central Kenya, and the grandparents’ subsistence farming supports the family. “All they want is the best for their little angel—for her to grow up normally with no deterrents whatsoever.” Mourine’s family needs assistance in raising the $780 that will cover Mourine’s encephalocele repair surgery. During this procedure, doctors will perform surgery to place the protruding tissues and cerebral spinal fluid back into the skull and close the opening. “The encephalocele repair will prevent infection and desiccation of brain tissue,” says AMHF. Let’s help give Mourine the chance to grow up healthy.

Emmanuel is a 14-month-old boy who lives with his parents and two siblings in a single-room rental house in Kenya. “A few days after Emmanuel’s birth, his mother noticed that his urethral orifice was abnormally placed,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. “It was after sharing this problem with a friend that she was advised to seek specialized treatment for her son, which she did. This came with a discovery that Emmanuel has hypospadias, and the treatment he needs would cost money that the family could not raise.” In males with hypospadias, the urethral opening is on the underside of the penis instead of at the tip. The abnormal location of the urethral opening causes difficulty passing urine and an irregular stream. “If not treated,” AMHF explains, “Emmanuel is likely to experience urinary tract infections and infertility in future.” Treatment for Emmanuel is hypospadias repair, a procedure in which a surgeon takes tissue grafts from the foreskin or from the lining of the mouth to extend the length of the urethra so that it opens at the tip of the penis. $655 covers the costs of surgery and a 10-day hospital stay, including blood tests and medicine. Emmanuel’s parents are contributing $50 to help cover additional costs associated with his care. After treatment, AMHF shares that “Emmanuel will be able to pass urine normally, and the risk of urinary tract infections will be reduced."

“Thank you so much for this support, for keeping my daughter in your heart,” says Ingrid's mother. Ingrid is a 23-month-old girl from Guatemala who is acutely malnourished. “She is much too small for her age since she has not had access to a diverse and caloric diet,” explains our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK). “Her diet has not only made her unable to gain weight, but has left her immune system too weak to fight off illnesses such as diarrhea, fevers, and cough--which can be lethal in a child like Ingrid that has a compromised immune system.” WK goes on to say, “Ingrid’s mother is worried because she noticed that she gets sick more often than the other children in the neighborhood.” Indigenous Guatemalans are one of the most marginalized and vulnerable populations in the world. They live in rural areas and suffer from high rates of food insecurity. The poorest indigenous Guatemalan villages have the highest rates of stunting in the world. $512 will fund a multifaceted treatment for Ingrid's malnutrition. WK explains, “This treatment will greatly improve Ingrid's quality of life. She will receive food supplementation, deworming medication, growth monitoring, and micronutrients that will help her grow and develop healthily. Ingrid’s parents will also receive intense nutrition education so they feel empowered to give her the varied diet she needs." Ingrid is the youngest of five children. She loves to play with her older siblings and her older sister's doll. Let's help her get back track so that she can reach a positive growth trajectory.

"Daudi has congenital deformity of both feet (clubfeet)," our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. Daudi is a 2-month-old baby boy from Tanzania. "Apart from the deformity of his feet, Daudi is healthy, happy, and feeds well." Clubfoot occurs when the tendons connecting the leg muscle to the foot bones are short and tight, causing the foot to twist inward. If left untreated, it will force Daudi to walk with the lateral aspect of his feet, which will affect his gait and cause him pain. Daudi will undergo a four-month process to gently stretch and manipulate the foot into the correct position, which will be held by casts in between sessions. The initial treatment of clubfoot is non-surgical. $1,160 will cover the full cost of Daudi's treatment. While his parents are concerned for his condition, they are unable to fully support the cost of the treatment as they work as farmers and vendors in their village. After treatment, "Daudi will not use the lateral aspect of his feet for walking," AMHF tells us. "I will be happy to see my son with straight feet, which will allow him to comfortably play with other children when he grows up," Daudi's mother shares.