Olerubari is a baby from Tanzania. His father is a livestock keeper, while his mother practices subsistence farming and keeps a few goats, cows, and chickens. Olerubari has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Olerubari traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on July 10. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $890 to fund Olerubari's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk when he grows up. His father says, "Please help my son get treatment for his legs."

Kaarie is a 14-year-old girl from Kenya. She is the second born in a family of seven children. Her father is a farmer, while her mother looks after the children. Two years ago, she fell and injured her right hip. This has caused pain and affected her ability to walk. Unfortunately, she was forced to stop attending school. Now, Kaarie is scheduled to undergo an osteotomy to heal her hip and help her walk. Surgery is scheduled for June 5 and will cost $1,231. She says, “I will be grateful if this condition is corrected and I resume my studies."

Anne is a woman from Haiti. She lives in Port-au-Prince with her husband. She works as a clerk in a cell phone shop. Anne has a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus, in which a hole between a major artery and vein near the heart remains open, instead of closing shortly after birth as is normally the case. Blood leaks through this hole, leaving her sickly and weak. Fortunately, Anne will undergo interventional heart catheterization on May 24. During the procedure, a device at the end of a catheter will be used to plug the hole so that it can no longer leak. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is asking for $1,500 to cover the costs of Anne's travel expenses, catheterization procedure, and lab work. She says, "I am so glad that God found a way forward for my heart to be fixed!"

Paulo is a child from Tanzania. He is the youngest in a family of three children. Paulo’s parents are subsistence farmers who grow vegetables for food and selling. Paulo’s two siblings are both in school, and Paulo’s parents hope to enroll Paulo in school soon. Paulo was diagnosed with bilateral genu varus. His legs bow outwards. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, walking is painful and difficult for him. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $940 to fund corrective surgery for Paulo. The procedure is scheduled to take place on April 13. Treatment will hopefully restore Paulo's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Paulo’s farther says, “I will be very happy to see my son walk without discomfort or difficulty. God bless you all for wanting to help my son. Thank you so much.”

Khin is a 17-year-old student from Burma. She lives with her mother and step-father in Mandalay Division in Burma. Her mother works as laundrywoman for her neighbors, and her step-father works as daily laborer in construction sites. Khin was born with the help of traditional birth attendant. When she was one year old, she was constantly tired and inactive. Khin's mother was worried for her and took her to a hospital in Burma. The doctor diagnosed her with a congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). In 2017, Khin's symptoms became much more severe. She has difficulty breathing and cannot walk long distances. Fortunately, Khin learned about our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). At BCMF's care center, surgeons can perform a heart surgery to treat the defect. Treatment is scheduled for March 16, and Khin needs help raising $1,500 to pay for this procedure. Khin says, "I want to continue my study after I recover. In the future, I want to become a teacher."

Benjamin is a farmer from Kenya. He is a hardworking father of seven. Eight days ago, Benjamin went to visit his father with his younger brother, and they rode a motorbike. On their return journey, they lost control of the bike and drove into a ditch. Benjamin lost consciousness and found himself lying in a hospital bed, only to be told that he had fractured his left leg. He is currently unable to walk Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On February 23, Benjamin will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This surgery will restore full function of his left leg. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $968 to fund this procedure. “I pray to God to give me good health so that continue working hard," says Benjamin.

Mirriam is a baby from Kenya. Her father is a motorcycle taxi operator, while her mother practices small-scale farming. The family is from a small village in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. Mirriam has been diagnosed with encephalocoele, a type of neural tube defect in which brain tissues and overlying membranes protrude through openings in the skull. Encephalocoele usually results from a failure of the neural tube to completely close during fetal development. Without treatment, Mirriam is at risk of developmental delays, brain damage, or premature death. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $929 to fund encephalocoele repair surgery for Mirriam. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 26. Hopefully, the repair of this condition will allow Mirriam to grow up healthy.

Zulfa is a 53-year-old woman who is a stay-at-home mother. She is talkative and enjoys taking care of her family. Her husband works as a subsistence farmer. In 1997, when Zulfa was pregnant, she started experiencing pain in both legs. She thought that over time, the pain would resolve itself. However, in 2016, she started to experience excessive pain, and swelling occurred in her knees. She went to the hospital for a check-up and treatment. The doctor gave her medicines to treat her pain, but there was no improvement. She was referred to our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre (ALMC). At ALMC, the doctor diagnosed Zulfa with osteoarthritis. If not treated, she will live with pain and decreased mobility. Fortunately, on July 21, surgeons at ALMC will perform a total knee replacement on Zulfa. The $822 requested by our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, will cover the full cost of the procedure, including a hospital stay, physical therapy, labs, medication, and radiology. Zulfa's family has also contributed $25 to Zulfa's care. Zulfa is "very thankful and happy" to get treatment so she can "live happily."

Estherline is a 14-year-old student who lives with her family in a small Haitian town. Her parents are involved in fishing and agriculture. Before she became sick, Estherline enjoyed going to school and church and playing with her two brothers and two sisters. Estherline suffers from mitral regurgitation, which she contracted from a rheumatic fever several years ago. With this condition, blood flows backward into the left atrium. If not treated properly, the problems with Estherline's mitral valve could result in heart failure. She became so sick that she has now been hospitalized for several months. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,343 to cover the cost of Estherline's air transport to the Cayman Islands, where she is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on July 5. Once there, Estherline will receive the care that she needs and will hopefully be able to live more comfortably. "I will pray that God bless everyone that is helping our family through our daughter's illness," says Estherline's mother.

Mao is a 49-year-old pig farmer from Cambodia. Last year, she fell at her home, which resulted in an injury to her spine. Mao has been taking painkillers to reduce the pain in her back. Mao reports that she experiences pain when she walks or carries out simple tasks around the house. Mao travelled for two hours to visit our medical partner’s care center, Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, where she was diagnosed with spondylolisthesis. Spondylolisthesis occurs when one vertebra slides forward over the bone below it, causing pain and sometimes weakness in the legs. On September 5, doctors will perform a spinal surgery to restore her ability to walk without pain. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is asking for $1,500 to cover the cost of Mao’s surgery.

Ro is a 42-year-old mother living in Burma. While Ro's children are in school, she spends her time taking care of the family's small farm and studying the Bible. She also teaches at the Sunday school in the church where her husband works as an assistant pastor. Ro first noticed that her thyroid was swollen about three years ago. She visited a private clinic, where she had an ultrasound and received oral medication. Doctor's recommended surgery but Ro worried about the cost. Unfortunately, Ro's symptoms continued to worsen, causing her significant discomfort. She was referred to Mae Sot Hospital, our medical partner's care center, where doctors strongly recommended she have surgery to remove both cystic and solid modules from her thyroid. Without treatment, Ro's symptoms—including exhaustion, heart palpitations, and throat pain—will continue to worsen. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Ro's surgery, which will take place on September 21. Ro is very worried about her condition but hopes that with proper treatment she can recover. She says, "After I have fully recovered from this condition, I want to be involved in church activities and Sunday school again."

Tin is a 37-year-old woman from Burma who lives with her family and works as a schoolteacher. Two years ago, Tin started to experience difficulty breathing when walking up the stairs to get to her classroom. She could feel her heart beating fast and often experienced shortness of breath when performing regular daily activities. Tin later visited a local clinic, where doctors explained that she has a large hole in her heart. Over time, the medications that she received stopped working. Tin visited several other clinics and spent a lot of money to treat her condition, however her symptoms failed to improve. Finally, Tin was referred to our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), for further treatment. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of an atrial septal defect closure that will close the hole in Tin's heart. The treatment is scheduled to take place on July 15, and, once completed, will hopefully allow Tin to live much more comfortably. "Currently I am still suffering from the same symptoms, but I cannot take too much time off work, otherwise my salary will be cut," says Tin. "Once I recover, I hope to return to teaching private lessons to my students."