Sharon is a 23-year-old small-scale farmer from Kenya. She is married with two children, aged four years and one year old. Sharon and her husband grow and sell vegetables and take on casual labor jobs to help supplement their income. They have a three-room house for their family. A week ago, Sharon was grazing her sheep when she tripped on a root. She was located on a hill and fell from a high distance causing her to fracture her right leg. Unable to walk or stand, some neighbors heard her call for help and rushed her to the hospital. Sharon was experiencing severe pain, swelling, and skin traction on her right lower leg. She underwent an x-ray, which showed that she had a fracture on her right femur. She also underwent skeletal traction to realign the bone and keep it in place until she could undergo surgery. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. On November 29th, Sharon will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation, to mend her right femur and allow her to move again. AMH is requesting $1145 to fund this procedure. Sharon says: “It’s so unfortunate that I broke my leg at a time when my children needed me the most. I am now forced to stop breastfeeding my son, who is still young, but I am grateful as I am still alive. I need your help, and I believe that someday things will get back to normal, and I will be able to be there for my family.”

Laurencia is a 9-year-old girl and the seventh born in a family of nine siblings. She is a student at the nearby primary school. Her parents are small-scale farmers who plant vegetables for sale and for the family's needs. Some of her siblings are in high school, so her father uses his small income to pay for their school fees and to provide for other family needs. They are from a semi-arid area which faces drought and most of their crops are sorghum and millet. There is a food and water shortage in the area, and they shared that bandits often attack them. Life has been quite challenging, but they have persevered. Laurencia came to AIC Kapsowar Hospital with a bandaged right arm. She had an x-ray from another facility, which showed that she had broken both the ulna and the radius after falling from a mango tree while harvesting mangoes. She is in pain and unable to use her hand. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On November 1st, Laurencia will undergo an open reduction and internal fixation surgical procedure to put the broken bones back in place. Her hand will be able to heal well and she will be able to use it again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $941 to fund this procedure. Laurencias’ father says, “This incident happened just when I was paying my other children's school fees. I am worried now that I cannot help my daughter when she is in need. Please help her so that she can be able to grow in a normal way.”

Meet Alex, a 15-year-old student, living in Kenya. Alex's mother is a single parent, working as a vendor. Alex aspires to enroll in a plant engineering course in the future. Last February, Alex was walking home from school along the side of the road, when a car veered off the road and hit him. After hearing a loud bang, the next thing that Alex remembers is waking up in the hospital with a fractured hip. Thanks to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, Alex is scheduled to have surgery to repair his hip on October 11th, at AIC Cure International Hospital. The procedure will cost $1,293 and Alex and his family need your help to fund this procedure. His treatment will enable him to walk without support again and he's excited to return to playing his beloved football. “My desire is to walk well without crutches and get back to the field to play football. I am requesting support from AMH to help me undergo surgery and resume my normal life,” Alex told us.

Exavier is an adorable 5-month-old baby from Haiti who 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, Exavier's head circumference has increased. Without treatment, he will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $897 to cover the cost of surgery for Exavier at Hospital Bernard Mevs. This is the only site in the country where this care is currently available, and the procedure is scheduled to take place on August 26th. This critical treatment will drain the excess fluid from his brain to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Exavier will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. Exavier's family shares that they hope the surgery with allow him to grow, attend school, and play with the other children.

Solomon is a 17-year-old from Tanzania. He is the secondborn in a family of five children. He enjoys going to school and has studied up to form 2. To support their family, his father works in the mines, and his mother is a kindergarten teacher. They share that their income is only enough to cover their basic day-to-day needs. Solomon has been diagnosed with genu valgus, a condition which causes his legs to bows inward and his knees to 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 of his condition, he is unable to walk and has stopped attending school. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Solomon. The procedure is scheduled to take place on August 4th. Treatment will hopefully restore Solomon's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Solomon's mother shares that she is happy knowing her son will be able to live a healthy life.

Bonface is a 72-year-old gentleman, living alone in a remote area of Kenya. While Bonface works as a laborer on local farms getting small jobs whenever he can, his wife works in Nairobi, and lives with their four children. A week ago, Bonface was assaulted, sustaining injuries to his head and to his left arm. After the assault, Bonface was able to alert his neighbors, who brought him to a local clinic. He received stitches for the wound on his head, and an X-ray of his arm was ordered. The X-ray revealed a fracture of the humerus bone, which will require surgery to heal. Currently, as a result of the fracture, Bonface is unable to use his arm, and is in pain. Bonface visited AIC Kijabe Hospital, where he was scheduled to undergo surgery on June 28th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,500 to fund his medical procedure, which will repair the fracture, and enable Bonface to use his arm without pain. Bonface says, “I am old and weak. I strain to work because of my age. It is now worse since one hand is broken. I need this treatment to be able to use my hand again.”

Prisla is a charming and social 5-year-old girl. She is an only child born who loves to play with other children. Prisla's parents separated when she was around two years old and she has been raised by her father with the help of her grandparents and uncles. The father is a small-scale famer who also does casual jobs to get money to support her upbringing. At two years old, Prisla was severely burned when she accidentally dipped her hands in a pot of boiling water. Prisla was never taken to hospital and instead treated with traditional medication at home. Prisla is now having difficulty using her hands in daily life activities due to her contracted fingers. Prisla has been scheduled for surgery to start correcting the right-hand fingers. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMH), is helping Prisla receive treatment. On May 12th, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help her finally straighten her fingers. AMH is requesting $639 to fund this life-altering procedure. Prisla’s uncle, who brought her for care, shared, “Her father cannot afford to take her to hospital, please help get her fingers corrected.”

Deborah is a nine-year-old student from Haiti. She lives with her parents, several siblings, and her grandparents. She enjoys singing and listening to music in her free time. Deborah has a cardiac condition called atrial septal defect, where a hole exists between the two upper chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through this hole without properly circulating through her body, leaving her feeling sick and weak. To receive treatment, Deborah will fly to Dominican Republic. On March 2nd, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will sew a patch over the hole in her heart so that blood can no longer leak through it. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is also contributing $8,000 to pay for her surgery. Deborah's family needs help raising money to fund the costs of her surgery prep. The $1,500 prep bill covers labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner who will accompany Deborah's family overseas for her surgery. Deborah's father shared, "our family has been praying for years for this surgery to happen, and would like to say thank you to everyone who is helping!"

Thay is a one-year-old girl from Burma. She lives with her parents, grandfather, three sisters and a brother in a village. Thay's mother looks after her and her brother at home, her grandfather is retired, and her sisters go to school. Thay's father works as a porter, but has has difficulty finding work for over a month. With the increasing number of internally displaced people settling in their village due to the humanitarian crisis, there are now many individuals competing for the same work. When Thay was around eight months old, her parents noticed that her head was increasing in size. As a result, Thay cannot yet sit up or crawl. She is only able to turn her head, and will cry if she cannot see her parents. Thay was recently diagnosed with hydrocephalus, which has causes fluid to build up in her brain. Without immediate surgery to alleviate the intracranial pressure, Thay is at risk of developing severe, potentially fatal medical complications. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund the insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt for Thay, which will drain the fluid that has accumulated in her brain. The procedure is scheduled to take place on May 20th and, once completed, will greatly improve Thay's quality of life as she grows up. Thay's father said, "I am thankful to every organisation and everyone for supporting my daughter’s treatment cost. Because of you, I believe that my daughter will receive surgery and be healthy and live a normal life after treatment."