"I like to listen to music and play football with friends," shares Aung, 22-year-old man who lives with his family in Burma. Aung, his father, and his two brothers work as day laborers, combining their earnings to pay the family’s living expenses. “At birth, Aung’s mother noticed a small bump on his head, directly between the eyebrows,” our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), tells us. “As it was so small and did not appear to cause him discomfort, the family did not seek medical help at that time.” When Aung was 12 years old, his family consulted a doctor who recommended surgical removal of the bump—diagnosed as a meningoencephalocele (MEC)— but they could not afford to pay for the procedure. A meningoencephalocele (MEC) is a sac of brain tissue, fluid, and membranes that protrude through a structural defect in the skull. Protrusions in the front of the skull, as is the case with Aung, may grow large enough to cause difficulty seeing, breathing, or eating. “Although Aung has never experienced rapid growth of the mass, it has slowly increased in size over time to approximately a golf ball,” BBP explains. “The mass does partially obstruct his vision; however, it is not painful to touch.” Despite Aung’s efforts to save money to pay for the surgery, family expenses—especially those incurred during the rainy season when there is less work—have used up those savings. “Aung is worried about his symptoms and whether he can be treated or not,” continues BBP. “He also worries that he has no money to seek treatment, and he is shy to go out with friends.” $1,500 pays for Aung to undergo surgery to remove the MEC, repair the hole in his skull with a bone graft, and reconstruct his face. Funding also covers transportation to and from the hospital, eight days of hospital care including blood tests and imaging, and three post-operative consultations. “Following surgery, Aung should be able to go to work and should no longer be worried about his condition,” says BBP. Aung looks forward to a successful operation. “After surgery, I would like to go to work so I can send money home to my family,” he says.

Two-month-old Anthony lives with his parents and three older siblings in a one-room house in Kenya. “Anthony was born with a head that was not proportional to his body in size,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. “Anthony’s head has been progressively increasing in size.” Anthony’s increasing head size is the result of hydrocephalus, a condition in which there is an accumulation of fluid in the brain as a result of infection, trauma, malformation of the central nervous system, or genetic defect. AMHF continues, “Anthony is at a risk of increased intracranial pressure, which may result in brain damage if not treated.” Treatment for Anthony is a shunt to drain the excess fluid from his brain. Doctors insert the shunt into the brain and connect it to a tube that runs under the skin and empties into the abdomen, where the excess fluid can be resorbed by the body. The procedure “will reduce the risk of Anthony suffering brain damage,” says AMHF. Anthony’s father works as a welder, and the family runs a small-scale farm on their ancestral land. Despite their hard work, they do not earn enough money to pay for the surgery that Anthony needs. For $615, Anthony will undergo surgery and spend five days in the hospital as he recovers. Funding also covers the costs of imaging, blood work, and medicine. “If there is anything I could do, I would not hesitate so as to eliminate whatever he is undergoing,” shares Anthony’s mother. “My hope is that someday he will be well.”