Marline is a 7-year-old boy from Kenya. He is a cheerful boy and a Grade 2 student at Jayden Academy. Marline wants to be an engineer when he grows up. Marline's mother says that he loves to dismantle and assemble electronics in the house, and is well on his way to his career dreams. Additionally, Marline has a condition called spina bifida. Earlier in April 2020, Marline was playing with his friends when his mother noticed a small pimple-like wound on his right foot. It was small at first, but slowly started to grow bigger in size. His mother rushed him to a nearby health centre in their hometown, where he has been undergoing dressing in the facility but they have not seen much improvement. Since Marline has been coming to Kijabe Hospital for his spina bifida clinic, he opted to seek review in the hospital and get this wound checked. He was reviewed a week ago by the plastic and pediatric surgical teams, who recommended that he undergoes debridement, excision of calcaneal ulcer, and flap cover surgery to clean and heal his infected wound. Currently, Marline is in pain and at risk for further infection. If left unattended, the wound may result in severe infection and possible amputation. Unfortunately, these procedures are costly for Marline's family. His mother is a single mother raising two kids on her own. Their family lives in a bedsitter house in Ruai, at the outskirts of Nairobi. Marline's father left the family and his responsibility. Marline's mother is the sole breadwinner of the family and she has a small grocery kiosk. The total profit from the venture is very small, and her close relatives are not able to assist with financial support. Their family appeals for help. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Marline receive treatment. On January 6th, surgeons will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure to help heal the wound and prevent possible complications. Now, Marline's family needs help to fund this $1,185 procedure. Marline's mother says, “This wound is worsening by the day. If left unattended, doctors say that he might lose his leg. This would be hurting all of us. Kindly help us as we really don’t have a way out."

Sarah is a student from Kenya who lives at a girls’ rescue center together with her two sisters. They escaped from forced circumcision that their parents were pushing for and the rescue center secured their child custody rights. However, the center does not have health insurance for the children living there. In 2018, Sarah suffered a snake bite but it was never treated. She healed with contractures on her left wrist and elbow, which has strained her ability to utilize her left hand. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Sarah receive treatment. On June 19th, surgeons at their care center will perform a contracture release surgery. With successful surgery, she will be able to use her hand with a lot of ease. Now, she needs help to fund this $1,176 procedure. Sarah’s guardian says, “Sarah is limited in her left-hand functions. Please assist her.”

Sar is a four-year-old girl from Thailand who lives with her parents and three sisters. Her mother is a homemaker, looking after household chores, while her father works as an agriculture day laborer. In her spare time, Sar likes to play with toys with her friends. Seven months ago, when Sar was on the way to buy snacks, a hen suddenly flew over to her and poked her right eye, protecting her baby chickens. Although Sar's eye turned red, her parents did not take her to any hospitals. They bought eye drops for her, but the medicine did not make her feel any better. Sar underwent a CT scan at Mae Sot Hospital but the doctor was not able to help her. She was referred to Chiang Mai and there she underwent an MRI. After the MRI, the doctor recommended surgery to remove her right eye. She received enucleation of her eye on July 25th, 2019. After enucleation, the doctor recommended an MRI to see if there is any problem post operation. She is now admitting in the hospital and will undergo the MRI on 25th February, 2020. Doctors want Sar to have an MRI, an imaging procedure that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce images of bodily organs, to help them continue to follow an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $968 to cover the cost of Sar's MRI and care, scheduled for February 25th. Sar's father said, "My daughter is healthy and playing happily with friends after we came back from treatment in Chiang Mai. The doctor told me that they will do MRI for my daughter to check if there is any abnormal growth or problem after surgery and if there is no problem after the MRI result, the doctor will implant an artificial eye in the next eight month for my daughter."

Magdalena is a 4-month-old baby girl from Tanzania. She is the last born child in a family of three children. Her parents are small-scale farmers selling vegetables for a living. Magdalena has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Magdalena traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on February 21st. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $890 to fund Magdalena's clubfoot repair. After treatment, she will be able to walk easily and wear shoes when she grows up. Michael’s mother says, “We are unable to afford her treatment cost due to financial challenges please help our daughter.”

Makara is a 15 year-old young student living with his parents and four younger siblings. He likes to play football and other games. Three month ago, Makara experienced a serious motor accident that injured his leg. The right foot became infected and by the time he arrived at Watsi's medical partner Children's Surgical Centre it was causing him much pain and gangrene had set in. The past month his condition has made him feel depressed and upset about his health. He did not want to leave his home and had a hard time eating and sleeping. His parents traveled five and a half hours to bring their son here to get help. Doctors recommend an amputation for Makara. After the amputation, he will not experience pain and discomfort from his foot anymore and will be able to go back to school. "I hope that I can go to school, and do some works to help my parents. When I grow up, I want to be a teacher," Makara said.

Htwe is a 6-month-old baby boy from Burma. He lives with his parents, two older sisters, and other extended family members. When Htwe was born, he had low glucose level and was admitted at the hospital for 18 days. He was doing fine until a few weeks ago when he started to have infrequent seizures. Doctors want Htwe to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose his condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Htwe's CT scan and care. Htwe's mother said, "As a mother, I’m very sad for my son. I look at him with pity. I’m worried he won’t grow up to become a normal kid like others his age."

Lisa is a 3-year-old girl from Cambodia. She enjoys playing with her two younger siblings and her doll. Five months ago, Lisa developed a chalazion in her right eye, causing her redness and discomfort. A chalazion is an inflamed cyst in a patient's tear gland. It is difficult for her to see clearly. Lisa traveled for three and a half hours to seek treatment from our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. On April 6th, surgeons will remove the cyst through a chalazion excision procedure. After recovery, Lisa's symptoms should improve. She needs help raising $187 to fund this procedure. "I worry very much about my daughter's eyelid. I hope she can see clearly and have no pain after surgery," Lisa's father said.

Habibi is a sweet and very shy girl from Ethiopia. She loves to play with her best friend at home. Habibi has two brothers and five sisters, and she loves to take care of her three younger siblings. Her father is a daily laborer and he maintains his family with the little he earns. Her mom is a house wife. Habibi dropped out of school when she was in grade 1 as a result of her condition. Habibi was born with an anorectal malformation, a congenital abnormality that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. She needs to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate bowel dysfunction. Habibi is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct her condition on January 9th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Habibi's procedure and care. After her recovery, Habibi will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. Habibi’s father said, “It is my hope to see Habibi go to school and get educated after she gets treatment. I believe she will serve her community. She always says ‘I want to get treated go to school and be a doctor.’ That’s my prayer and hope for her. ”