Anastazia is a 5-year-old girl. She comes from a big family, with 7 children and two parents. She enjoys spending time with her siblings helping around their house; cooking, washing, and fetching water are some of her favorite activities at home. She lives in a small village called Maji moto located in the northwest of Tanzania, where people from the area are mostly farmers. Anastazia's parents are small-scale farmers who cultivate maize and nuts which are rain dependent. Due to the recent climate change, that has affected rains, they have not had a good harvest in the past two years that has resulted in an unreliable market and income. One year ago, Anastazia got in an accident; while she was trying to help her older sister take a pot of hot tea from the stove, the steam from the pot burned her hand and she let go of the pot and the tea spilled all over her right arm, axilla, and groin. She was given first aid by her sister and then rushed to the hospital. It took almost two months for the wounds to fully heal. Burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around her burn. She has had difficulty and discomfort while walking. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Anastazia receive treatment. On March 2nd, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help her walk easily again. Now, she needs help to fund this $639 procedure. Anastazia’s mother says, “She enjoys spending time playing with her siblings and friends but the pain from her thighs makes her enjoy it less. I hope this treatment will give her the chance to enjoy games with her siblings.”

Emmanuel is a 39-year-old father of two from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He lives with his wife and children and works in sales at an electronics store. He has a cardiac condition called atrial septal defect. There is a hole between the two upper chambers of his heart, which causes blood to leak out without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him weak and short of breath. Because the care he needs is not available in Haiti, Emmanuel will fly to the United States to undergo cardiac surgery on February 27th. Doctors will sew a patch over the hole in his heart so that blood can no longer leak through it. Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital is contributing $10,000 to help pay for this surgery. His family now needs $1,500 to help fund costs of the surgery preparations, including labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments, and travel expenses. Our medical partner Haiti Cardiac Alliance will accompany Emmanuel overseas and ensure he safely undergoes treatment. Emmanuel says, "I am excited for this surgery so that I can focus on taking care of my family without worrying about my health."

Chom is a loving grandmother: a mother of three sons, four daughters, and has 13 grandchildren. She has lived in Svay Rieng province in Cambodia with her youngest daughter, a rice farmer, since her husband's passing. At home, she enjoys going to the pagoda with other villagers on holy days. Six years ago, Chom developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her vision to blur. She has difficulty seeing clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking. Thus, she is unable to travel places on her own anymore. When Chom learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she came four and a half hours from her province seeking treatment. On January 24th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery, and implant an intraocular lens in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Chom needs help to raise $253 to fund her procedure and care. She said: "I hope after surgery I can see well again. I can walk and eat by myself and feel useful to my family."

Neang is a 67-year-old widow. She lives in Kandal province with her nephew after her husband passed away 7 years ago from hypertension. Some of her favorite activities include joining ceremonies at her local pagoda and cooking for her nephew's children. About one year ago, Neang developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her blurry vision, irritation, tearing. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Neang learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On January 4th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and place an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Neang said: "I hope my vision improves and I can get around easily by myself. I want to be able to help care for my nephew's children and walk to the pagoda by myself."

Rosette is a mother of two children and the sole breadwinner of her family. She shared that she and her husband separated due to family conflicts. Her children are still in high school. Together they all live with Rosette's parents, but she hopes to build her own house when she gets sufficient money. Rosette runs a small retail shop and does farming on the side to meet her family's basic needs. For two years, Rosette has been experiencing lower abdominal pain and bleeding. She has been diagnosed with multiple uterine myomas. In November, she was admitted to a hospital due to anemia and had to undergo a blood transfusion. She had surgery recommended but could not raise the money needed. She came to Nyakibale Hospital where she met our medical partner who can now help her access the surgery she needs. Doctors recommend she undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $219 to fund Rosette's surgery. On December 8th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Rosette will be able to resume her daily activities, finally free of pain and with new strength. Rosette says: “The only hope I am left with for a complete recovery is to undergo surgery. Please support my request."

Samuel is a 21-year-old talkative young man. He is the second born in a family of five children. His father passed away when he was four years old, so his mother had to raise him and his siblings by herself. She does jobs on tea farms to provide for the family. When Samuel was two years old, his abdomen started to swell, which was very painful for him. His mother took him to the hospital and he was given some medication and sent back home. The medication did not work as expected. He was then taken to a different hospital for examination. He was given more medication and after some time he seemed to be better. The stomachache did not go away completely, however. Samuel and his mother shared that over the years, he has had stomachaches and gotten used to taking pain medication. In 2017 when Samuel was in high school, the pain worsened and his abdomen started to swell again. He had to leave school as a result. His mother took him to a hospital in Meru where he was admitted for three months. While in the hospital, scans and a biopsy were done to determine what the problem was. He was given a colostomy, where the end of the colon is brought through an opening in the abdominal wall, in order to pass stool. This surgery is often performed to bypass bowel malformations, but colostomies are usually temporary and may call for closure. In Samuel's case, his colostomy requires closure in order to restore bowel function and prevent future complications. At that time, his doctors did not manage to treat him and referred him to BethanyKids Hospital in 2018. On arrival, he was examined and admitted, as he was not in good condition. After more scans and tests, he was ultimately diagnosed with Hirschsprung’s disease. Since then, Samuel has undergone several surgeries with the aim of trying to better his condition. The first surgery failed, but the second was successful. He is now scheduled to undergo his last surgery to close the colostomy so that he can pass stool on his own again and live a more active life. Earlier in his treatment, Samuel's parents had enrolled in the national health insurance program (NHIF), which helped them pay for most of his hospital bills. BethanyKids also chipped in on occasion to help with some of the bills. Unfortunately, for his last surgery, NHIF has rejected the request since he is beyond the age to be covered by his mother’s insurance. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping him to undergo treatment and needs $1,084 to cover the cost of a colostomy closure for Samuel. The surgery is scheduled to take place on November 11th and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Samuel’s Mother says, “For years now, I have been very worried about my son, but God has seen us through.”

Marion is a 6-year-old student from the highlands of Elgeyo Marakwet county in Kenya. She is the second born in a family of three girls and currently attending preschool near her family home. Her parents are small-scale potato farmers. One day Marion's mother went to the river to fetch water. While she was gone, her children were sitting near an open fireplace at home making breakfast. Unfortunately, Marion's dress caught fire on the open flame, and as a result, she sustained severe burns on her back, abdomen and thighs. It has been difficult for her to walk, and the wounds are causing extreme discomfort. She especially needs a third surgery to treat the severity of her burns contractures. Despite Marion's parents having medical insurance, due to previous surgeries that she has had to treat the injuries, the insurance (a monthly subscription) has run its course and is no longer an option. Her parents do not have the funds to pay for Marion's surgery and need support. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Marion receive treatment. On January 25th, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery that will allow her to walk with greater ease and resume her normal life at home and school. Now, she and her family are requesting $1,478 to help fund this procedure. Marion's mother says, “I am really looking forward to seeing my daughter live and walk in a normal way. I worked hard to pay for insurance coverage, but unfortunately, it cannot fund the upcoming procedure. I am disappointed, but I will not lose hope. Kindly help her.”

Vireak is a 26-year-old garment worker who has been married for one year. His wife also works in a garment factory. In his free time, Vireak enjoys playing football, snooker, listening to music, and meeting with his friends. Vireak was in a traffic accident in October 2019 and fractured his left femur. Doctors fixated a nail in his left leg to treat the fracture. Now, the bone is healed and the nail needs to be removed to prevent future complications and infections. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On September 2nd, Vireak will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will cost $304. This procedure will allow him to be full recovered from his accident. Vireak says, "I hope my leg is without pain and I recover quickly so I can return to working and supporting my family."

Nah is a 73-year-old retired rice farmer from Cambodia. She has one daughter, three sons, and 16 grandchildren. She and her husband live with their eldest daughter, who is a grocery seller. Nah enjoys spending her time at the mosque. Six years ago, Nah developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her to experience itchiness, eye tearing, and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she is not able to go places on her own. When Nah learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for four and a half hours seeking treatment. On July 18th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and place an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Nah says, "I hope after surgery my eye can see clearly so I can take care of myself and my husband well."

Tola is a 34-year-old with a younger brother and a younger sister. Tola's father works as a tuk tuk driver, and his mother sells vegetables at the market. In his free time, Tola enjoys playing football, drinking coffee with his friends, and reading the news. Tola was in a traffic accident last February that caused fractures to his right arm. He underwent fracture repair surgery at a local hospital, but even after the wound healed, he still cannot move his right wrist. He visited our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for help. Fortunately, on June 7th, surgeons at CSC will perform a tendon transfer procedure so he can regain use of his right arm. CSC is requesting $572 to fund this procedure. Tola was able to gather $100 to contribute to his medical care. Tola says, "I hope I can move my arm again after surgery, so I can return to work and support myself."

Jemimah is a 45 year old business woman who lives with her husband and five children in Uganda. She runs her family’s small furniture shop, where her husband works as a carpenter, to earn a living for their family. They have no house of their own, and live in their friend’s house as caretakers. Earlier this year, Jemimah began experiencing severe back pain, accompanied by other worrisome symptoms. As a result of her condition, she no longer feels able to take an active part in their family business. Jemimah has been diagnosed with abnormal uterine bleeding and endometrial hyperplasia. If her condition is left untreated, Jemimah could be at risk for developing uterine cancer. In order to treat her condition, Jemimah needs to undergo a hysterectomy. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $319 to fund Jemimah's surgery, which is scheduled for May 13th at Rushroza Hospital. Once she has fully recovered, Jemimah will be able to resume her daily activities, free of pain. Jemimah says: “I am troubled because I can no longer do my duties like I used to before. I am in pain. I pray and hope to get well through surgery so that I may get back to my duties and continue taking care of my family.”