Meet Sharon, a 5-year-old girl from Kenya. She is the second born in a family of four children. Sharon was brought to Medical Partner's clinic by her grandmother. Her mother has stayed at home and according to Sharon’s grandmother, she is mentally impaired. Both Sharon's mother and grandmother do not work and only depend on farm products and well-wishers. Their family hails from Makengi village in Embu county. Sharon has a burn scar deformity that she sustained at home when paraffin poured on her and unfortunately, she caught fire, severely burning her feet. She healed with contractures on her hands and feet as well. She currently cannot walk or hold things on her hand and she is in great pain at the moment. Surgery will be of great impact to her as she will be able to stand, walk, and hold things. Her family is not able to raise the estimated cost of surgery and thus requested for support. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Sharon receive treatment. On May 20th, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery to better allow her to use her hands easily. Now, she needs help to fund this $799 procedure. “We cannot be able to raise the estimated cost of surgery and if there are any means that you can support us, we will be grateful.” Sharon’s grandmother told us.

Shatrice is a playful child whom her mother describes as exploring. She was born with hearing loss which was only noted when she was two years old. Efforts to seek treatment in their home area were fruitless. This was mainly because of financial limitation. Her mother was advised to bring her to Watsi's medical partner facility, about 500km from their village. Shatrice was diagnosed with profound hearing loss and requires hearing aids. With the fittings, she will develop her speech and her hearing will greatly improve. Shatrice’s mother is the only breadwinner in the family. She has to care for her two children and Shatrice’s grandmother who is struggling with esophageal cancer. From time to time, she has to take up cleaning jobs to meet demands at home. The family, however, relies on the church to meet their daily needs, including their transport and consultation fee. Shatrice’s mother desires to have her child grow up like any other child. She appeals for help.

Win is a 49-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her husband and four sons. Two of her sons are distant learners at university while her husband and two other sons work as masons. However, her husband had to stop working to look after the housework when she was no longer able to do so. Win was diagnosed with a heart condition that involves a malformation of her mitral valve, the valve between the left atrium and left ventricle. This valve controls the flow of blood, but certain conditions may cause blood to flow backward or the valve to narrow. Currently, Win feels tired, has no appetite, cannot sleep well nor walk longer distances. She also has a headache, chest pains, and tingling and numbness in her extremities. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a mitral valve replacement for Win. The treatment is scheduled to take place on March 11th and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably. Win said, “When I recover from my illness, I will go back to doing the housework so that my husband can also go back to work.’’

Margaret is a trained tailor from Kenya. She is a shy single 30-year-old from Gakoe Kiambu. Margaret completed her tailoring course recently and is yet to get into employment. She lives with her mother who is a peasant farmer.  For about 10 years Margaret has struggled with headache, palpitations, sometimes sweating and later swelling of the neck. These problems have made it difficult for Margaret to socialize with family and friends. She had been visiting different health centres with no change until she came to Nazareth and a diagnosis of multinodular goitre was made through ultrasound. She has been under hormones control and now is ready for a thyroidectomy. Due to her low socioeconomic status, the family is not in a position to meet the cost and requests support. If not treated Margaret will continue experiencing social misfit and the thyroid gland will continue to grow. She is also likely to suffer from complications like thyrotoxicosis. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Margaret receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on January 23rd at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $625, and she and her family need help raising money. “I have stayed for many years with this problem yet I have no means for treatment. I plead for help so that I can be well again to live my normal life,” said Margaret.

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. ”

Brightness is a baby from Tanzania. Her parents are small scale farmers of maize and vegetables for their own consumption. able to support her children. Brightness was diagnosed with genu valgus. Her legs are bowed inward so that her knees touch. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, She cannot walk without pain and discomfort. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $940 to fund corrective surgery for Brightness. The procedure is scheduled to take place on November 1st. Treatment will hopefully restore Brightness's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Brightness’s mother says, “I am scared of how bad my daughter’s legs are being deformed, please help treat her I have no means of raising the money.”

Lameck is a child from Tanzania. Lameck is a fifth born child in a family of five children, he is a shy little boy and likes to keep to himself. His parents are subsistence farmers who earn very little and can barely support their family. Lameck has clubfoot of both his feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Lameck traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on September 10th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $890 to fund Lameck's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily with no pain and difficulty. Lameck’s father says, “Please help my son get the treatment he needs so he may be able to walk without difficulty.”

Ben is a toddler from Haiti. He lives with his mother and father in the mountains south of Port-au-Prince; his parents are both farmers. Ben has a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect. A hole exists between the two lower chambers of his heart; blood leaks through this hole without passing through his lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him weak and short of breath. Ben will fly to Cayman Islands to receive treatment. On September 24th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will perform open-heart surgery to close the hole with a patch.. Another organization, Have a Heart Cayman, is contributing $17,000 to pay for surgery. Ben's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Ben's family overseas. His mother said, "We are excited for this surgery so our son can gain weight and have energy."

Simon is a child from Tanzania. He is the second born child to a family of four children. Simon’s parents depend on small scale farming of maize, beans and cassavas for their living. Simon has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, Simon has been experiencing an increasing head circumference and inter-cranial pressure. Without treatment, Simon will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $728 to cover the cost of surgery for Simon that will treat his hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on September 2nd and will drain the excess fluid from Simon's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Simon will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. Simon’s mother says, “My son was doing so well after the surgery but now he is going through a lot of pain, he can’t eat well please help my son.”

Chan is a mother of five from Thailand. She is a homemaker while her husband works as a daily laborer. For the past three months, Chan has been experiencing pain and discomfort in her abdomen and back. She has been diagnosed with ovarian cyst. She has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Chan's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Chan is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on August 6. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, she will no longer experience pain and discomfort. Chan says, “I am always thinking and worrying about my condition. I hope I will get better one day.”

Thaw is a 44-year-old woman from Burma. She lives in Hpa-An, Karen State with her friends. She is a Christian missionary. Thaw has a mass in her uterus. She has been diagnosed with a myoma. She has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Thaw's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Thaw is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on July 1. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. After surgery, Thaw will be able to return home and continue her work as a missionary.

Srey Yen is a garment factory worker from Cambodia. In her free time, she likes to listen to music, watch the television, and help her family around the house. In January 2019, Srey Yen was in a motorcycle accident, fracturing her left wrist and injuring her shoulder when she fell on the ground after colliding with an incoming car. She has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on her left side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Injuries to this nerve network can result in loss of function and sensation. She cannot move her shoulder or bend her elbow, and often experiences pain in her left arm. Srey Yen traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On May 8, she will undergo a brachial plexus repair surgery. After recovery, Surgery will help her to regain full movement in her arm without any pain or difficulty. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $637 to fund this procedure. She says, "I hope that after my surgery, I will be able to move my arm and hand and can go back to work."