“I just want her to grow normally,” share the parents of Christy, a 13-month-old girl living in Guatemala. Christy is currently afflicted with acute malnutrition and, as a result, is much below the healthy height and weight for a girl her age. Due to her weakened immune system- a symptom of malnutrition- Chrisy has been getting sick often. Although Christy loves playing with her favorite toy - a play dish set - she has had trouble reaching other developmental milestones, including walking and talking. If not treated soon, the negative effects of malnutrition could affect Christy for the rest of her life and she will have a greater chance of developing chronic diseases as an adult. Christy lives in a rented adobe house with her parents and two older siblings. Christy’s father works as a farmer, cultivating corn and coffee on the plot of land that they own. Christy’s mother takes care of the family and occasionally weaves traditional Mayan textiles to earn extra money for the family. Although Christy’s parents work very hard, they do not have the resources to provide Christy or her siblings with the fruit, vegetables, or eggs that they need to be healthy. For $512 Christy will receive treatment for her malnutrition. This treatment will provide food supplementation and deworming medication that she needs to gain weight and grow taller. Additionally, her parents will receive nutrition education so that they know which foods to buy for Christy and her siblings in the future.

26-year-old Makara was hit by a car while he was driving his moto in Thailand last August. "This caused a brachial plexus injury of his left arm," reports our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). Since then, this factory worker and father from Cambodia has had limited sensation and mobility of that arm and hand. "After the accident, he was not admitted to a hospital because he could walk fine," CSC continues to explain. Instead Makara received traditional Khmer medicine back home, but this was ineffective and he continued to experience pain and a lack of mobility in his left arm. Eventually Makara went to a hospital where doctors told him he needed surgery to repair the damage to his nerves. Because the damage was so extensive, "he has no sensation below the deltoid area of his left arm and no mobility in his fingers," says CSC. Makara is very worried about how this injury will affect his wife and daughter. "I can't hold stuff with my left arm or go to work to support my family," he expresses to us. His grandmother had surgery at CSC in the past, so Makara traveled four hours with his brother to reach CSC for proper treatment. For $392, surgeons at CSC will perform a nerve and tendon repair that will improve the function of Makara's left arm. CSC explains, "a nerve will be diverted and sewn into the current non-functioning nerve, and after a few months of healing his arm will regain functional abilities and sensations." Makara will also receive physical therapy sessions over the next several months to help him regain his arm's abilities. Then he will be able to return home to work and take care of his family. "I hope after the operation my arm will have good function again," Makara shares with us.

Two-month-old Anthony lives with his parents and three older siblings in a one-room house in Kenya. “Anthony was born with a head that was not proportional to his body in size,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. “Anthony’s head has been progressively increasing in size.” Anthony’s increasing head size is the result of hydrocephalus, a condition in which there is an accumulation of fluid in the brain as a result of infection, trauma, malformation of the central nervous system, or genetic defect. AMHF continues, “Anthony is at a risk of increased intracranial pressure, which may result in brain damage if not treated.” Treatment for Anthony is a shunt to drain the excess fluid from his brain. Doctors insert the shunt into the brain and connect it to a tube that runs under the skin and empties into the abdomen, where the excess fluid can be resorbed by the body. The procedure “will reduce the risk of Anthony suffering brain damage,” says AMHF. Anthony’s father works as a welder, and the family runs a small-scale farm on their ancestral land. Despite their hard work, they do not earn enough money to pay for the surgery that Anthony needs. For $615, Anthony will undergo surgery and spend five days in the hospital as he recovers. Funding also covers the costs of imaging, blood work, and medicine. “If there is anything I could do, I would not hesitate so as to eliminate whatever he is undergoing,” shares Anthony’s mother. “My hope is that someday he will be well.”

Namazzi is an expectant mother who is due to give birth this month. She is 35 years old, and she lives with her husband in Uganda. She produces food in her small family garden. Her husband is a casual laborer with a small income. “Her doctor advised against vaginal delivery because of breech presentation [in which the fetus is positioned to exit feet first, as opposed to the typical head-first presentation],” explains our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). “If Namazzi does not have a C-section, she and her baby might be in danger during delivery.” Due to her pregnancy, Namazzi has stopped working. “She has been sick since she was six months pregnant and did not earn [any income],” AMHF continues. “She hopes to carry her safe and healthy baby after the operation.” $160 will cover a C-section for Namazzi, along with a four-day hospital stay to ensure a successful recovery. “Namazzi was glad to hear that some donors were to pay her bill,” AMHF says. “This excited her so much.”