"Pyae Son first became aware he had a heart condition two years ago," says our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). "He remembers supervising on a construction site and feeling overly tired. Since that day he says he experiences poor appetite, difficulty breathing and numbness in his chest." Pyae Son is a 27-year-old young man from Burma. He lives with his parents and grandfather. "He was enrolled at university but had to stop his studies one year ago in order to financially support his family," BBP tells us. Pyae Son was diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease, and needs surgery to correct his defect. "Pyae Son hopes to receive surgery shortly so he can contribute financially to his family once more," BBP says. "He stated he want a ‘stable and simple life.’ The only thing he desires is to live a life where he has energy; he no longer wants to live as a patient." $1500 will fund a complex cardiac treatment for Pyae Son. BBP expects that this will resolve the underlying condition and resolve his current symptoms, such as the inability to sleep, pain, and numbness. He will also be able to return to work and support his family.

"Since 2010, Jane has been suffering from this condition. She went to a hospital and a scan was done which showed she has uterine fibroids and required surgery to treat," says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). "However, Jane did not have money for treatment." 44-year-old Jane is a single mother of three children from Kenya. She works as a tailor, but her small income is not enough to cover any additional expenses beyond basic needs. Jane needs a total abdominal hysterectomy to treat her uterine fibroids, and we can help make it possible. The surgery will cost $790. Included in the cost is Jane's hospital stay, meals, laboratory testing, imaging, and anesthesia. "I have been in pain for a long time and it is having a negative effect on my small business," Jane shares. "I look forward to the day when I will get well and be able to work and support my family.”

"When I had the accident, I was very afraid that I would never walk again. I thank God that I can now walk with crutches and I know that one day I will walk on my own again," says a very optimistic Beatrice, who was recently hit by a car that lost control and drove into a nearby shopping center. 36-year-old Beatrice is married and has three children. She runs her own business in Kenya, buying beans from farmers and selling them at the market. Beatrice’s business does quite well, and she was even able to purchase a few goats with her savings. However, our medical partners at Africa Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) tell us that Beatrice no longer has any savings and has sold her goats. "She has not been able to work since then [the accident] and has had 2 procedures on her leg. This has left her in debt and she is not able to meet the cost of the bone transport that she now needs." Beatrice is currently fitted with external hardware to support her bone and if not treated soon, she could develop a severe infection that could require amputation of her leg. Bone transport surgery will cost $1,500. Help Beatrice avoid these serious complications and be on the road to recovery!

"I hope to get well and be able to care of my son and meet my dream of starting a shop for selling clothes,” expresses Cecilia, a 38-year-old mother in Kenya. “Cecilia is a beautiful single lady with only one child, a son, who is 17 years old. She sells clothes by the roadside near her home to earn money to meet her family's basic needs,” shares African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), our medical partner in Kenya. For about a year, Cecilia has experienced heavy bleeding, pain, and anemia as side-effects of uterine fibroids—noncancerous growths common to women in child-bearing years. “If not treated, Cecilia will continue to bleed and the fibroids will keep growing, affecting surrounding body organs. The anemia will also become severe, leading to Cecilia requiring blood transfusion and other health complications,” explains AMHF. For $790, we can fund a total hysterectomy for Cecilia, a procedure from which AMHF expects Cecilia to recover completely; “she will be relieved from the pain, bleeding and anemia.” Together, we can help Cecilia care for her son and move towards her dream!

“One day I would like to become a medical doctor,” says 17-year-old Mzee. Mzee, who lives in Tanzania with his mother, father, and six older siblings, has genu valgus in his right leg, a condition in which his knee angles in and knocks his other leg. “Mzee completed primary education and was chosen to continue with secondary education, but unfortunately he had to stop going to school when he was in form due to lack of funds,” shares our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). “While in school, Mzee enjoyed playing soccer with his fellow students, and he also liked learning Swahili and science subjects.” “Mzee experiences pain in his right knee after walking or running for a while,” AMHF continues. “His leg becomes stiff, and it’s hard to start walking again after resting for some time. If not treated, Mzee will most likely develop early osteoarthritis of the knee.” $940 will cover the cost of treatment to realign Mzee’s knee, which will improve his gait and reduce his risk for osteoarthritis.