Meet Samuel, a 35-year-old father of four who lives with his wife, mother, and children in Kenya. In 2014, Samuel began experiencing migraines, blurred vision, and loss of balance. After visiting our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), Samuel was diagnosed with a benign pituitary tumor. "If not treated," AMHF reports, "Samuel may continue experiencing the painful head migraines and risk having complete blindness. There is also a chance of the tumor increasing and causing further complications on Samuel’s health." The recommended treatment for this condition is an interhemispheric parietal craniotomy, where the tumor will be removed after the parietal lobe is exposed. AMHF is confident that this procedure will improve Samuel's life and shares, "Samuel’s vision shall be restored and the painful migraines will end. Chances of further tumor complications will be reduced." As a result of his condition, Samuel is no longer able to attend his work as a cart operator. And, although his wife washes clothes to help support the family, her income is not enough to cover Samuel's operation. However, with a donation of $1,205, we can help Samuel get back on his feet. Samuel tells us, “I want to get well and be able to provide for my family and support my mother.”

Meet Eh Tha, an 18-month-old baby from Burma. "She is very sweet and her mother says she never cries and is very well behaved," our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), tells us. “When she was born, her mother noticed a small bump above her nose between her eyes,” explains BBP. "The medics informed her that her baby had an encephalocele and would need to have surgery to have it repaired." This means that Eh Tha’s neural structures did not develop normally, leading to visible protrusions containing excess cerebrospinal fluid. Now, the defect is affecting her ability to see. With only Eh Tha’s father’s income to support the family, the medical costs of her condition are a strain on the family. They cannot afford the surgery that doctors have recommended for her. According to BBP, Eh Tha has already received surgery for a ventriculoperitoneal shunt to relieve the pressure of fluid in her brain and around her eyes. $1,500 will cover her second surgery to close the open wound. Eh Tha’s mother shares: “I want my daughter to be healthy and happy. I just want my daughter to have surgery as soon as possible and recover.”

Shivan lives in Uganda with her three older siblings and parents, who work as small landowners and farm for a living. “Her mother also has a small shop in the village where she sells household items,” our medical partner, the Kellermann Foundation (KF), tells us. “On Sundays, the family enjoys going to church.” “Shivan is only three-months-old, but her mother is diabetic and has not been able to nurse properly, and Shivan is suffering from malnutrition,” KF explains. “She has oedema and is very lethargic.” This is a condition that has developed from Shivan’s malnutrition where excess fluid collects in tissue or body cavities. $375 will fund treatment for Shivan’s malnutrition, which will allow her to "return to normal development patterns,” KF continues. “Thank you so much for all the help,” shares Shivan’s mother, “I have been very worried about my daughter.”

Raymar is a 16-month-old boy from the Philippines who loves to smile at people who come near him. Our medical partner, International Care Ministries, tells us, “he is unaware of his current condition and is moving and playing just like any other kid.” Raymar has an inguinal hernia, in which a mass of tissues protrudes through a weak point in his abdominal muscles. He has swelling around his groin area. Treatment for Raymar is a hernia repair, which will cost $1,437. His surgeon will push the tissues and fat back inside the abdominal cavity and suture close the opening in his muscles. The treatment will give Raymar an opportunity to live a normal life and he will be free from complications of hernias, such as tissue death. “As a mother, I dreamed of a wonderful future for my child, however, because of his condition, we could not clearly see his future,” says Raymar’s mother, “After he gets treated, we are excited to see him grow and play like other children and we will also be worry free."

Meet Dariana, a 14-month-old girl from Guatemala. The youngest and the only girl among three older brothers, Dariana is the baby of her family. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), tells us, “She loves to play with a stuffed animal given to her by her oldest brother." “She is overall a happy child, but her height and weight for her age are both extremely low,” says WK. Dariana’s father, who works as a laborer, does not earn enough to sufficiently feed each of the children. As the youngest child, Dariana is given the least amount of food. Additionally, an incident with an expired vaccine six months ago left her appetite and energy levels low. Given these circumstances, WK tells us, “She is hitting developmental milestones later than normal.” Childhood malnutrition has major effects on the developing brain. Research shows that stunted children have a lower IQ and consequently less economic potential in adulthood. Without intervention, Dariana will be at risk of these long term effects. “Her immune system will continue to weaken and her weight will continue to drop,” adds WK. With $535, Dariana will be enrolled into WK’s recuperative nutrition program, where she will receive growth monitoring, micronutrient and food supplementation, and medication. Her parents will undergo nutrition education to better care for Dariana and their future children. With these measures, Dariana will have the chance to live a healthy, productive life.

Meet Ban, a 67-year-old man from Cambodia. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), reports, “Ban is married with three sons, five daughters, and seven grandchildren, and he spends his free time listening to the monks praying at the pagoda.” Two months ago Ban developed a mature cataract in his left eye—a clouding of the lens that often occurs due to old age. Since Ban has developed the cataract, "He has been unable to watch TV or go to pagoda, and he worries about his left eye becoming blind as it is getting harder for him to do work, go to pagoda and join ceremonies, or go anywhere that far by himself," CSC explains. Ban needs cataract surgery to replace the cloudy lens in his eye with a clear, artificial implant. This procedure costs $150 and will allow Ban "to see clearly out of his left eye again" and fully regain his sight. CSC continues, “Ban wants to see everything clearly again so he can find a job to earn money to support his family, easily go to the pagoda, and go places by himself.”

“A very shy and beautiful girl,” is how our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), describes Maryann, a three-year-old from Kenya. While speaking with AMHF, “Maryann kept smiling and stealing glances.” AMHF tells us, “Maryann’s father works on farms and construction sites while her mother washes clothes for people to earn a living.” Maryann has a six-year-old brother, and both children have had painful umbilical hernias. Umbilical hernias occur when the opening for the umbilical cord does not completely close, allowing fatty tissue or part of the bowels to protrude. AMHF says, “Maryann experiences severe sporadic stomach pain, and if the surgery is not done soon, she will continue experiencing pain and risks having her intestines strangulated – which would lead to a much more complicated mode of treatment.” AMHF reports, “Early this year, friends and family came together to raise the funds for her brother’s treatment; since then, her parents have been trying to raise the money needed for Maryann’s treatment, but they have not been able to.” $430 will fund Maryann’s surgery—a procedure that will push the bulge on her abdomen back into place, and to make her abdominal wall stronger. Maryann’s mother shares, “All I ask for my daughter is to no longer be in pain, I wish I could taker her pain away; when she cries asking me to make it stop, it breaks my heart because I am not able to do anything.” We can help take Maryann’s pain away– let’s do it.

Meet Diana, a bright, five-year-old girl from Kenya. Diana and her family live in a two room traditional hut and she has three siblings currently enrolled in school. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), informs us that she was brought to their hospital last night in critical condition, and is currently in the ICU. “Diana has been suffering severe headaches, an inability to walk, persistent vomiting, and drowsiness,” AMHF reports. Sadly, these symptoms are the result of a brain tumor. The tumor was first noticed in nursery school when her symptoms began. Over the last few years, “her parents sought medical intervention from several hospitals but her condition got worse,” AMHF says. Diana’s father works on his own tea farm and her mother is a housewife. All of the family’s savings have been used paying for Diana’s medical bills. AMHF reports, “they sold the few livestock they had to get treatment for little Diana.” Diana needs a craniotomy to remove her tumor. $1,260 in funding will pay for the MRI or CAT scan needed to isolate the tumor, the craniotomy to remove it, and Diana’s post-operative recovery in the ICU. AMHF reports, “If treated, Diana will be relieved from the risk of experiencing high intra-cranial pressure and it will also minimize the risk of developing brain damage or becoming visually impaired.” Diana’s mother shares, “I really hope that little Diana gets well, we love her so much."

“I want to be healthy and free from worry,” shares 34-year-old Mar, a mother and market vendor from Thailand. Mar has an ovarian cyst, a fluid-filled sac that has formed on one of her ovaries. “She is in pain when she sits and sometimes even loses sleep,” our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), tells us. “Her legs and arms ache as well, and she is no longer able to work as much as before.” Because Mar is unable to work regularly, her 14-year-old son has stopped going to school to help earn money to support the family. The recommended treatment for Mar is surgical removal of her uterus and ovaries—procedures known as a total hysterectomy and oophorectomy, respectively. Mar’s stage three uterus prolapse, in which her pelvic muscles and the ligaments that support the uterus are weakened, also calls for specific treatment. $1500 in funding will cover the cost of the surgeries as well as a seven-day hospital stay and one outpatient appointment post-surgery. BBP explains, “After treatment, Mar will be able to return to work. She will no longer suffer from pain and will be able to earn an income again without worrying about further medical complications.” “I want to be able to work regularly and earn enough money to spoil my children,” says Mar. “I want my son to return to school to continue with his education. I wish that my children will have better education that I was able to.”

“I miss reading books the most,” shares a now-hopeful Sman. 67-year-old Sman works as a schoolteacher and has four children and six grandchildren. He traveled six hours to reach our medical partner in Cambodia, Children’s Surgical Centre, in need of cataract surgery to restore his eyesight. His doctors explain, “Sman's vision began to blur about a year ago. He is now partially blind because of the cataract in his left eye. He cannot read anymore which makes it hard for him to work as a teacher.” For $150, we can cover the cost of Sman’s cataract surgery, allowing him to return to life as normal. With improved vision, Sman will be able to teach and read his beloved novels once again!

“I thank God for placing you in my path. I had lost all hope of ever getting treatment,” shares a now hopeful Basilica. 46-year-old Basilica was recently diagnosed with cervical cancer by our medical partner African Mission Healthcare Foundation in Kenya. Her symptoms include feeling weak and experiencing dizzy spells. Basilica was first put on medication to treat her cancer, but now her doctors are advising her to have surgery in order to keep the cancer from spreading. Working as a cleaner, Basilica earns just enough to support herself and her 21-year-old daughter. Despite her hard work, she cannot afford the $800 treatment she needs. Let's work together to raise the funds necessary for Basilica to have a total abdominal hysterectomy. With this treatment, Basilica’s doctors expect her to “live a healthy normal life!"

Agripino is a 24-year-old man living in Guatemala. He is from a rural farming village where he works in the fields, although this has become difficult to do under his condition. “Agripino came to us after several months of abdominal pain and distention,” our partners at Wuqu’ Kawog tell us. “We performed imaging studies which confirmed a tumor in his left kidney, consistent with kidney cancer. If not treated, this tumor will continue to grow and may even metastasize.” It will take $1,475 to fund the chemotherapy necessary to battle Agripino’s cancer. Since his cancer has not yet progressed to an advanced stage and hasn’t metastasized, our partner’s expect the chemotherapy to be a cure! Our partners tell us that Agripino is “upbeat and optimistic, and looking forward to beating this thing” – lets come together and make that happen!