Makara is a 10-year-old boy and the only child in his family. He lives with his parents and his 65-year-old grandmother in Cambodia. His mother works in a factory, and his father is a tuk-tuk tricycle driver. Makara is currently in grade 3 and his favorite subject is mathematics. At home, he likes to eat rice with sour soup, and he enjoys spending his free time playing with his friends. Makara had a traumatic birth and had to have a blood clot removed from his brain when he was one month old. Since then, he has suffered from hemiplegia - a paralysis of one side of his body that results from injury to the motor centers of his brain. Recently, his parents visited our medical partner, Children's Surgical Center, for consultation. While he can walk on his own, Makara faces ongoing challenges, including wrist drop, foot drop, and limited movement on the left side of his body. His wrist and elbow are bent, making it hard for him to use his hand for writing, playing, and other activities. On October 18th, Makara will undergo a flexor carpi radialis (FCR) and flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) neurectomy procedure performed by our specialized surgeons, which will help improve the function and mobility of his left wrist and hand. Makara's parents can afford to contribute $100 towards his medical care. They need help raising the remaining $472 in funds for this complex procedure. This amount will cover the costs associated with the surgery, including post-operative care, medication, and rehabilitation. After the surgery and rehabilitation, Makara's parents hope he can use his arm more, improving his ability to play and perform everyday activities. Makara's mother shared, "I hope that after the surgery, Makara will be able to live happily and attend school regularly."

Purity is a 26-year-old woman from Kenya. She is the fourth-born in a family of six children. Purity attended secondary school with high hopes, but her parents were unable to raise the money for her tuition and she had to drop out. Currently, she works as a casual laborer at a nearby salon while her parents are farmers. For about a year, Purity began to experience troubling symptoms, including pain when swallowing, body weakness, headaches, snoring at night, and swelling in her neck. She shared that she has visited many hospitals without finding a solution. At one point, an ultrasound of her neck revealed she had a nodular goiter. She was advised to undergo surgery, but the cost was too high for her family to afford. Purity will continue to experience these symptoms, and she may develop complications such as thyrotoxicosis including heart palpitations, weight loss, heat intolerance, and muscle weakness. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Purity receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on October 8th where surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $633 and she and her family need help raising money. Purity shared: “I am still young and hope for a better future. I hope someone can support me to be well and go on with my life."

Meet Suleiman, a ten-year-old boy from Tanzania and the oldest child in his family. Suleiman's father depends on casual day jobs to earn a living and his mother is a homemaker. Suleiman was born with a condition that affects his growth and development. When he was younger, he used to have frequent seizures. When he started walking, his parents noticed that his left leg looked different. They took him to a hospital where he was given a special shoe to use. While it initially helped, his leg became worse as he grew older. Suleiman's parents learned about our medical partner's care center, African Mission Healthcare's, Kafika House, for treatment. There, Suleiman was diagnosed with hemiplegic left cerebral palsy and unilateral left club foot. He is now attending exercise sessions to help with his body coordination. On August 13th, Suleiman will receive club foot correction treatment to correct his left foot and make it easier for him to move and walk. Suleiman needs your help to raise $1,119 to fund his treatment. Suleiman’s mother says: “Please help my son. He has had a hard time growing up and his leg is a big challenge to his progress. I hope this treatment will make his leg better."

Chantrea is a seven-year-old 3rd grader from Cambodia. He lives with his parents and younger brother in a rural village near the border with Vietnam. His mother sells vegetables at home, while his father is a rice farmer. At school, Chantrea's favorite subjects are history and math. When he grows up, he dreams of owning a shop. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer with his friends in the village. On April 1, 2024, Chantrea suffered an electric burn at home, resulting in scar contractures on his left ring and little fingers. Now, his left little finger is permanently flexed and cannot be extended, and the ring finger has limited extension at the middle joint. He experiences pain when attempting to move his little finger, making it difficult for him to write and feed himself as he is left-handed. When Chantrea learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On July 11th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to improve the function in his hand. Chantrea's family was able to contribute $50 towards his medical costs but needs help to raise $445 more to fund the procedure. Chantrea's mother hopes that her son will be able to do his everyday activities more easily and that he can return to school and start to write again.

Mathayo is a six-year-old boy from Tanzania. He has eight siblings. His father relies on farming and livestock to support the family. They farm corn for sustenance and sell some of their surplus harvests for income. Mathayo is often quiet and tends to keep to himself. However, when he saw a real football for the first time, he became excited and asked if he could play. When Mathayo was one year old, he had an accident resulting in severe burns on his hands. These developed contractures, making it difficult for him to hold objects. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Mathayo receive treatment. On October 8th, surgeons are scheduled to perform a debridement and skin graft procedure. Following the surgery, his hands will heal and he will regain function. Now, Mathayo needs help to fund this $693 procedure. Mathayo's father added "This condition has been hard for him and made him dependent on his mother. We hope the treatment will make it possible for him to become more independent."

Gladys is a strong, hardworking mother from Kenya who is raising her five children on her own. Her oldest child is 14 years old, while her youngest is only three. To support her family, she works as a casual laborer plucking tea. She currently lives in a single-room rental house, which costs Ksh.1200 (~10 USD) per month. Gladys shares that her income is inconsistent and not enough to cover her needed medical treatment. She also does not have active medical coverage and currently has a large accrued bill due to her recent hospital admission. Recently, Gladys was involved in a road traffic accident that caused several fractures. One of the fractures she sustained in this accident was of her left tibia. As a result of this injury, she is currently unable to walk. In order to properly heal her fracture, she must undergo an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) procedure. She also has facial fractures, which will require another ORIF later the same week. However, undergoing an ORIF for her fractured tibia is the current priority. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On August 8th, Gladys will undergo fracture repair surgery so she can walk easily again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Gladys says, “I cannot walk and my face is in pain. I am the only breadwinner of the family, and I cannot work if my leg is broken. All my five children depend on me for upkeep and survival. I need this treatment to get back on my feet.”

Aung is a nine-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his parents and his two sisters in a village in Karen State, on the Thai-Burma border. Aung's father is a carpenter and his mother is a homemaker. Aung also has two sisters and used to go to school until their school closed in August 2022 due to armed conflict in their area. In his free time, Aung enjoys watching football matches. Aung was born at a clinic in Thailand with a mass between his eyes. As he grew, the mass increased in size and started to cause him pain. The area around the mass is red, swollen and irritated. His eyes will frequently water and will turn red whenever he looks down or reads for a longer period of time. Doctors want Aung to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose his condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Aung's CT scan and care, scheduled for November 10th. He shares, "I want to be a football player when I grow up. But I also want to help my father earn more money for our family, maybe by building houses."

Lida is a bright and motivated ten-year-old student from Cambodia. She has two younger brothers, who are twins. To support their family, her parents sell electronic appliances from their home. Some of Lida's favorite activities include playing with her brothers, reading books, and watching cartoons. She also loves eating her favorite meal: fried fish and fresh milk! In school, her best subjects are Khmer literature and math. She aspires to be a lawyer when she grows up. For some time, Lida has complained of hip pain and weakness, which have progressively intensified over time. She has been diagnosed with multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, a condition that affects cartilage and bone development. Fortunately, she will undergo hip hemi-arthroplasty surgery on August 2nd at our medical partner's care center. During this procedure, surgeons will replace half of her right hip joint. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $544 to fund Lida's surgery at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully alleviate her pain and discomfort, allowing her to live more comfortably and confidently. Lida's father says, "I hope she gets well soon and can be comfortable again."

Safia is a bright student - she is an orphan who is still mourning the loss of her mother who passed on in February 2022. Her father died a few years ago, and she lives with her relatives in Moyale. She has not been able to attend her classes since she started feeling unwell. She is the last born in a family of five children. She does not have medical coverage and is unable to raise the required amount for the surgery. She first experienced a small itch on her leg at the beginning of April 2022. She later experienced swelling in that area, and she did not have any feeling on the infected leg. Over time, the situation worsened and developed pus. She now has a chronic wound on her left leg that requires debridement and skin grafting. Safia was referred to our medical partner's care center Kijabe Hospital by friends after her condition did not improve. She visited the facility and underwent a sequestrectomy on the 8th of September and now needs a debridement and skin graft procedure. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Safia receive treatment. On September 14th, surgeons will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure so she can walk without straining and be able to attend school and continue with her studies. Now, Safia needs help to fund this $1,185 procedure. Safia's aunt says, “She has been away from school for almost five months now. Her condition keeps getting worse that she is unable to walk. We even have to carry her to the bathroom. She needs this surgery, or she will lose her leg.“

Neylan is a three-year-old girl and the first-born child in a family of two children. She is a charming girl who loves to play with her baby brother. Her father is a teacher at a local college while the mother is a housewife. Despite having a job, it is hard for her father to earn enough to provide and care for his wife and two children. Neylan was diagnosed with bilateral genu varus, her legs bow outward at the knee. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, she has difficulty walking and playing. Her baby brother is also in need of treatment, which causes stress and worry for their family. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Neylan. The procedure is scheduled to take place on July 8th. Treatment will hopefully restore Neylan's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Neylan’s mother says, “Please help me, my children's legs are being deformed and we are worried."

Patience is a sweet 8-year-old from Uganda. She is in primary school class two and has three siblings. Her father passed away four years ago, and her mother practices small-scale farming to provide for their family. About eight months ago, Patience developed a small, painless swelling on her right axilla near her armpit. The swelling slowly increased over time, so her mother took her to the nearest health center for treatment. Although the mass initially disappeared, the swelling returned and was progressively larger than before. Patience's mother took her to our medical partner's hospital for review, and the doctors determined that she needs to undergo surgery. Currently, Patience experiences some pain, and her family is concerned about the mass. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help Patience receive treatment. On October 15th, surgeons will remove the mass. AMH is requesting $145 to fund this procedure. Patience's mother shared, “I pray that my daughter gets well through surgery so that she may be able to continue her education comfortably for a better future.”

Winne is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She has two sons, who work on the police force, and one daughter, who works as a teacher. Winne shared that her husband passed away thirteen years ago, making her the sole provider for her family as her children grew up. Winne began farming to sustain herself and her family. Seven years ago, Winne began to experience troubling symptoms, including anterior neck swelling and trouble breathing. She was diagnosed with a goiter and managed her symptoms with traditional herbs. As her symptoms progressed, she visited the hospital for review, and doctors recommended that she undergo surgery to prevent her symptoms from worsening. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Winne receive treatment. On October 11th, she will undergo a thyroidectomy at AMH's care center, during which surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. AMH is requesting $252 to fund Winne's surgery. Winne shared, "I've passed through a lot of struggles over the period, but I have hopes that, with your support, I will be relieved from this condition."