Seven-year-old Elia lives in Tanzania with his parents and seven siblings. "He very much enjoys playing football even though he cannot run very quickly," says our medical partner African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). That is because Elia was born with congenital bilateral clubfoot, which caused both of his feet to grow inward and with very high arches. Elia has done his best to live a normal childhood despite having this condition. "He started class one, but he had to quit school because it was difficult for him to walk the long distance to school," says AMHF. If not properly treated, Elia will continue to have difficulty walking and he will also be at risk of developing early osteoarthritis. "Due to the severity of his condition, doctors saw it was best for his feet to be treated one at a time," AMHF continues. "His right foot was successfully corrected and he now needs the left foot to be corrected as well." Unfortunately, funding this second operation has been difficult for Elia's family. His parents are small scale farmers, but their small earnings are barely enough to support their large family--let alone a surgery. $1,660 will fund the treatment Elia needs. These funds will cover the costs of his operation where doctors will surgically release the overly tight tendons in his left foot that are causing it to turn inward. Then his foot and ankle joints can be re-aligned, and casts will hold them in place while they heal. To ensure that these casts are properly cared for, Elia will also receive rehabilitation care for about four months. After recovering from his procedure, Elia will have a better gait and reduce his risk for developing osteoarthritis at an early age. "When I can walk properly I will be happy to go back to school," Elia shares.

Meet Suni, a six-year-old girl from Nepal, who lives with her grandparents, mother, and brother at home while her father works in India. Suni helps her grandparents with their farm and collects fodder for the family cattle at home. Our medical partner, Possible, shares that Suni has been unable to move much or even attend school because of a recent accident. One day while picking apples, Suni fell from a branch 15 feet off the ground and landed on her elbow, resulting in a painful fracture. The open injury is painful, swelling, and tender to the touch, Possible says. Suni will need an orthosurgeon to operate on her open elbow fracture to place the broken bones back together and prevent them from moving during the healing process. Possible states that with an open reduction and internal fixation procedure, Suni’s elbow will be reset with special screws and metal plates. $579 in funding will cover surgical costs including any medication, hospital admission charges, and follow up examinations to ensure that Suni’s elbow is completely realigned and healed. “Suni is our very dear granddaughter,” Suni’s grandfather shares. “Her mother could not come with her because she had to look after Suni’s younger brother. I hope she is out of her pain soon.”

Meet Kelvin, an 11-month-old boy from Kenya. “He is the youngest of five children. When Kelvin’s mother first gave birth to her sone, he was healthy for the first four months. Then, his head began increasing in size,” shares our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). “His eyes have sunk into his head and he cries out in pain more and more each day,” AMHF explains. Kelvin has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition where excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the head. AMHF continues, “As a result, it is causing an increased intra-cranial pressure inside the skull and may lead to progressive enlargement of the head, if not treated. The elevated intracranial pressure may result to life-threatening brains them compression and potentially cause convulsion, tunnel vision, and possibly mental disability.” Kelvin’s mother, who raises her son on her own, sells vegetables from the plot of land that she shares with her parents. She earns approximately $3 each day, which she uses to send her older children to school. “It has become difficult for his mother to continue on with her business of selling vegetables as most of her time is spent on trying to seek medical help for her son in the hospital,” AMHF says. “Kelvin’s treatment will help his mother get back to her business and be able to earn money to sustain her five children who entirely depend on her.” “Kelvin’s surgery will help reduce the excessive pressure in the brain, prevent visual impairment, and death,” says AMHF. The treatment, called a hydrocephalus shunt, involves the implementation of two catheters and flow control valve system to drain the excess fluid, and costs $980. “I hope my son can support his head soon and his head can stop increasing in size,” shares Kelvin’s devoted mother. “Finances are the only restrictions.”