Mutabaazi is a 17-month-old boy from Uganda whose family describes him as a very jolly kid. He has one sibling-- a three-year-old sister. Mutabaazi's mother is a housewife and his father is a cattle keeper who works for someone else. Both are migrants originally from Rwanda, and they have no piece of land or house of their own. When Mutabaazi was six months old, his mother noticed a swelling on his right scrotum. She took him to a health center where he was given injections and told that the swelling would go away, but nothing happened. Mutabaazi has since been diagnosed with a right inguinal scrotal hernia, a condition in which part of the intestine protrudes through the lower abdominal wall and into the scrotum. The swelling increases in size when Mutabaazi laughs or cries. Mutabaazi's mother is worried about her son's condition. When he is in pain he cries a lot and sometimes he stops playing and appears sickly. At these times, Mutabaazi's mother cannot get her work done as she has to pay him full attention. However, she was not able to bring her son to the hospital because she knew she wouldn't be able to afford the bills. If not treated, Mutabaazi may suffer intestinal incarceration, obstruction, or strangulation. The salary Mutabaazi's father earns is not even enough to sustain the family, and they therefore seek assistance to cover the cost of hernia repair surgery for their son. During the surgery, which costs $220, doctors will return Mutabaazi's herniated tissue to his abdominal cavity and repair the weakness in his abdominal wall. This procedure will eliminate the aforementioned risks and put an end to Mutabaazi's pain. After surgery, Mutabaazi’s mother hopes to have peace of mind, do her house work without interruption, and to know that her son is in good health.

Four-year-old Zelalem lives with his parents in Ethiopia. He loves soccer and spends all of his free time playing. Zelalem was born with hypospadias, a condition in which the urethra opens on the underside of the penis instead of at the tip. As a result, he cannot pass urine while standing like other boys. Zelalem is eager to start school, but he has been unable to do so because of his condition. Treatment for Zelalem is hypospadias repair, a procedure in which the surgeon takes tissue grafts from the foreskin or from the inside of the mouth to extend the length of the urethra so that it opens at the tip of the penis. If left untreated, Zelalem is likely to suffer urinary tract infections and may also be infertile in future. Zelalem's parents tried their best to get their child a treatment in public hospital, but they have waited for more than a year for a call so that their son can be included in the waiting list. Zelalem's father is a traditional fabric weaver, but he does not earn much money from his work and cannot afford to pay for his son's medical care. $1,155 covers the costs of surgery for Zelalem as well as a 14-day hospital stay, including blood tests, imaging, and medicine. Zelalem's parents look forward to a successful procedure and hope their son becomes as healthy as any other boy his age.

“I would like to be a pilot when I grow up,” says Francis, an 11-year-old boy from Kenya. “Francis is a brilliant primary school student who is in standard four. He meets you with a cheerful disposition and confidence for a child his age,” shares our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). “Francis was sharp enough to notice that his left testicle was ‘missing,’” continues AMHF. “He mentioned it to his mother jokingly but she took it with seriousness.” Francis’ mother took him to the hospital where he was diagnosed with cryptorchidism—a condition in which one or both of the testicles fail to descend into the scrotal sac. “If not treated, Francis is likely to develop testicular cancer and/or hernia,” states AMHF. “He will also be at risk of infertility in the future,” and the condition has the potential to affect Francis’s self-esteem as well. In order to eliminate these risks, Francis requires single orchidopexy surgery. During this procedure, doctors will move the undescended testicle to the scrotal sac and fix it permanently in place. “With a menial income from subsistence farming and no external income, Francis’ parents are not able to raise the funds required for his surgery,” explains AMHF. “The family of three children resides in a two-room house in Central Kenya.” “Francis’s parents just want the best for their children,” says AMHF, and together we can help them achieve this by funding the $540 operation, which includes a three-day hospital stay and medication. “Francis is a very active child. If only I knew that he could have been treated, this would be far behind us now,” says Francis’ father. “But I am happy we are not very late to get him treatment. I don’t want anything affecting how my son views himself— I want him to have good self-esteem. I hope we get funding towards his treatment.”

"Magdaline is a vibrant woman who loves teaching," our medical partner, Hope for West Africa (HWA), shares with us. The 43-year-old woman lives in Nigeria with her husband, where she works as a teacher. Recently diagnosed with uterine fibroids, "Magdaline experiences heavy bleeding, painful menstrual cramps, prolonged flow, and has an enlarged abdomen," HWA reports. Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths that form in the walls of the uterus, and can often lead to other conditions, like anemia, if left untreated. Because of the pain she experiences, Magdaline often has to miss some days of work. "She loves teaching and imparting her knowledge to the students," HWA shares. After receiving treatment, she will be able to work without missing days. In order to cure the uterine fibroids, Magdaline will undergo surgery. She will stay in the hospital for seven days for follow-up care. $1,500 will cover the cost of surgery along with the hospital stay. After surgery, "Magdaline looks forward to having the full time with her students as she won't need to be excused from her duties due to her condition," HWA shares with us.