Obed is a child from Kenya. Two years ago, Obed accidentally dipped his hand into hot water while crawling. Obed cannot hold anything with his right hand because his fingers are folded. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Obed receive treatment. On August 5, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery. Now, he needs help to fund this $1,006 procedure. His grandmother says, “Obed is joining school next year. He will need his right fingers so that he can be able to hold a pen. I wish that he can be treated this year so that he can join kindergarten with his age mates."

Wilanka is a girl from Haiti. She was born with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. She underwent open-heart surgery for this condition in 2017, but at some point after the surgery, the patch that was sewn over the hole unfortunately separated from part of her heart, and so she requires a second open-heart surgery to replace the patch. Wilanka lives in west central Haiti with her parents and three siblings; she does well in school, especially in math and science. Wilanka will fly to India to receive treatment. On August 14, she will undergo cardiac surgery. Another organization, Rotary International, is contributing $8,000 to pay for surgery. Her 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 her family overseas.

Yay is a 74-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She has four children and ten grandchildren, and enjoys listening to the monks pray on the radio in her spare time. One and a half years ago, Yay developed a cataract in each eye, causing her blurry vision, irritation, and tearing. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Yay learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for one and a half hours seeking treatment. On June 3, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $398 procedure. She says, "I hope that I will be able to see clearly again so I can go outside and recognize things and also go anywhere I want to outside on my own."

Guertha is a mother of one from Haiti. She lives with her parents and young son on a small farm in the mountains of northern Haiti. Guertha has a cardiac condition called severe rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the four valves of her heart cannot open and close properly due to an infection she suffered several years ago. As a result, her heart cannot adequately circulate blood through her body and she is weak and short of breath. Guertha will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On May 1, she will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will remove her damaged valve and implant an artificial replacement. Another organization, Fundacion Heart Care Dominicana, is contributing $10,000 to pay for surgery. Guertha'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 Guertha's family overseas. She says, "I am hopeful that after this surgery I will have my health and energy back!"

Maxwell is a baby from Kenya. He is the second of two children. Maxwell 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, Maxwell has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Maxwell will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $685 to cover the cost of surgery for Maxwell that will treat his hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on March 28 and will drain the excess fluid from Maxwell's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Maxwell will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy.

Muoysean is an 18-year-old food seller from Cambodia. She likes to cook and help around the house in her free time. Since she was three years old, Muoysean had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in her right ear to perforate. For this reason, Muoysean experiences discharge, tinnitus, and hearing loss. She has recurrent infections which cause irritation and poor hearing. Muoysean traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On March 4, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in her right ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $423 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. She says, "I hope that after my surgery, my ear will be able to heal and I will regain my hearing."

Prickson is a father of six and a grandfatherfrom Malawi. He is a farmer who truly enjoys tending to his garden and spending time with his family. Since 2010, Prickson has been experiencing pain and urinary difficulty. These symptoms are caused by an enlarged prostate, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. He needs to undergo a prostate resection surgery, a procedure in which surgeons will remove part of the enlarged gland. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $733 to fund Prickson's surgery. On January 29, he will undergo prostate surgery at Nkhoma Hospital, our medical partner's care center. The requested money pays for supplies, medications, and two weeks of hospital stay. Prickson was very excited to find out he will be able to have surgery. He says, "I am very thankful for this project, please continue to help others."

Han is a 24-year-old Karen man from Burma. He is an army medic. Han was born with ventricular septal defect, a cardiac condition in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of the heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through his lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him sick and short of breath. Han is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on February 10 to correct his condition and improve his quality of life. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Han's procedure and care. He says, “I cannot sleep at night. Before coming to BCMF I was very worried about my health condition. Now I am a bit relieved. I am looking forward to go back to my duty as a medic again when I am fully recovered.”

Susan is a woman from Kenya. She is a mother of three who used to be a nursery school teacher until delivering her third child. Her husband is a casual laborer, often planting trees for pay. Susan has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Without treatment, the cancer may spread to other organs. A mastectomy, a surgery to remove breast tissue, has been suggested to rid her body of breast cancer and to prevent the cancer from metastasizing. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $816 to cover the cost of a mastectomy for Susan. The procedure is scheduled to take place on October 31. After treatment, Susan will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Susan says, “My prayer is that God will give me the strength to undertake the treatment and complete it. I want to be there for my children."

Idi is a student from Tanzania. He is the youngest in a family of eight children. His best subjects are science and Swahili. He loves playing soccer with his friends. Idi has been diagnosed with acquired left genu valgus. Early last year, his parents noticed their son’s left leg was weakening and bending inwards. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $940 to fund corrective surgery for Idi. The procedure is scheduled to take place on November 2. Treatment will hopefully restore Idi's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Idi’s sister says, “My parents are not able to afford the surgery cost and my brother's condition keeps worsening. Please help him."

Rabson is a basket-maker from Malawi. He works on a small family farm with his wife and kids, while making baskets from home to earn extra income. He enjoys chatting with his friends in his free time. Since 2017, Rabson has been experiencing pain and urinary difficulty. These symptoms are caused by an enlarged prostate, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. He needs to undergo a prostate resection surgery, a procedure in which surgeons will remove part of the enlarged gland. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $733 to fund Rabson's surgery. On September 18, he will undergo prostate surgery at Nkhoma Hospital, our medical partner's care center. The requested money pays for supplies, medications, and two weeks of hospital stay. He is very eager to be helped through this surgery. He says, "I am just waiting to recover and continue doing everything as I was before these health problems started. Thank you so much for this program to help me get better again!"