Linnly is a student from Malawi who will be taking her Malawi School Certificate final examinations this year. She enjoys biology, agriculture and mathematics and aspires to become a university lecturer when she completes her studies. She is the oldest child in a family of five. Her mother is a subsistence farmer and, sadly, her father passed away last year. Linnly’s school fees are being supported by her uncle, who is a primary school teacher. Linnly’s mother shared that Linnly has had a large umbilicus since birth and when she sought medical attention, she was told that the condition would go away as Linnly grew. However, it did not go away and for the last month, Linnly has swelling in the area along with severe pain and vomiting. She was diagnosed with an umbilical hernia and needs surgery to avoid complications. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Linnly to receive treatment. On June 15th, she will undergo hernia repair surgery at AMH's care center. After surgery, she will be able to go back to school and concentrate on her studies free of pain. Now, she needs help raising $575 to cover the cost of her procedure and care. Linnly shared, “I am the firstborn and I need to do well in school so that I can take care of my siblings. I believe after surgery, I will resume my lessons and realize my dreams of becoming a university lecturer."

Komugisha is a small business woman from Uganda. She is a 41-year-old mother of three children, and she lives with them in a single-room rental house. After separation from her husband, Komugisha assumed the role as the sole breadwinner of her family. To earn a living, she trades in dry cereals to pay for the fees and expenses for her children, but faces difficulty when farming harvests are not productive. Six years ago, Komugisha began to experience troubling symptoms, including anterior neck swelling, difficulty breathing, and persistent pain. She was diagnosed with nodular goitre, or an enlarged thyroid gland. Initially, she had visited a different facility which gave her an oral medication, but her condition did not improve. Komugisha was also advised to undergo surgery, but she opted to use local herbs as medicine due to the costs. In the end, Komugisha was referred by a friend to our medical partner's care center, Nyakibale Hospital, where she had a scan diagnosing the goitre, and doctors suggest surgery to prevent worsening symptoms. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), is helping Komugisha receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on June 22nd at our medical partner's care center, where surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252. Komugisha shared, “I can no longer walk for longer distances yet my job requires much walking to look for the cereals. My children are still in need of daily upkeep. Please help me."

Omar is a 14-year-old student and the youngest of eight children. He is in grade 5 and likes reading. His father is a farmer and his mother died last year after a long illness. Omar has clubfoot in both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Omar and his father traveled over a day to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on June 28th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,286 to fund Omar's clubfoot repair. He is scheduled to undergo right foot triple arthrodesis surgery to first correct his right foot. After treatment, he will be able to walk and be able to put on shoes. “Any support rendered to make my son walk like other children will be highly appreciated,” Omar’s father told us.

Noemi is a cheerful three-year-old girl from Venezuela. Her family moved to Colombia two years ago, and she will start school soon. Noemi loves playing with dolls and painting. Noemi has clubfoot of both feet, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Noemi's family traveled to visit our medical partner, Clínica Noel. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on September 28th. Now, Clínica Noel, is requesting $1,500 to fund Noemi's bilateral clubfoot repair. After treatment, she will be able to walk more easily and wear shoes. Her mother shared, "it breaks my heart when she tells me she wants to walk and I see that she is not able to... she is starting school soon and I would love to see her walk and play with her new friends."

Richard is four year old boy and the third born in a family of four children. He has not yet started school and enjoys looking after his father's cattle alongside his siblings. Richard's parents are small-scale farmers who grow maize, beans, and vegetables for their own consumption and they also have a few cattle for milk. Since he was a baby, Richard has had an inguinal hernia, a condition in which soft tissue protrudes through a weak place in the abdominal muscles. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Richard to receive treatment. On July 4th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at AMH's care center. Now, AMH is requesting $566 to fund Richard's surgery and once complete, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Richard’s mother shared, "if my son is able to get this treatment it will help stop the suffering he is going through especially this cold season."

Caleb is a young, four-year-old boy with one older sibling. His family currently lives in a one-roomed rental house made of iron sheeting in Nairobi County in Kenya. Caleb's mother is the sole breadwinner of the family, cleaning clothes in the neighborhood. Caleb has clubfoot on both feet, which doctors informed his mother after delivery immediately, but Caleb did not receive care due to a lack of referrals. Now, four years later, his mother heard about our medical partner's care center, CURE hospital, through a friend whose son had been treated at CURE. She was convinced to visit the hospital for possible treatment. Fortunately, Caleb's family traveled to visit CURE International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on August 2nd. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,286 to fund Caleb's clubfoot repair. After treatment, Caleb will be free from pain when walking and able to wear shoes comfortably. “I am appealing for help for my son to undergo surgery. I will be grateful to see him walking without struggle like others," Caleb's mother said.

Teltila is a lively five-month-old girl from Ethiopia and a sibling to an older brother and sister. She is sociable, loves to play with her mom, and enjoys it when her mom talks to her. Her dad is physically impaired and unable to move around easily. He sells candies and some sweets on the street for a living and her mom is a housewife raising their three kids. His income is not enough to maintain the family but fortunately, they are supported by a foundation in their town that works with people with impairments. Teltila was born with a birth condition called anorectal malformation, a congenital abnormality that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage causing pain and complications. She developed bowel obstruction because of her condition and an emergency colostomy, one of the series of procedures needed to eliminate the condition, was done for her at our medical partner's care center, BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre (BKMCM). She has had multiple issues with her colostomy care and associated complications and as a result, she continues to feel significant discomfort. According to her mother, Teltila had her first surgery when she was 45-days-old and unfortunately, the second surgery was delayed due to finances. The money they saved could only cover doctor reviews and some level of surgical fees. After getting an appointment, her bag was stolen with all the money and documents at a bus stop. Teltila's mother was devastated and did not know what to do. She heard of a charitable organization that supports the poor and went there to share her story. Teltila is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct her condition on August 12th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Teltila's procedure and care. After her recovery, she will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. Teltila's mother says, "I am now so thankful. I lost all I had and I just received it back through you all. I hope my daughter will be treated."

Justine is a talkative 18-year-old laborer from Kenya. He is the second-born child in a family of five children. He dropped out of school in grade eight after his parents were unable to pay his secondary school fees. Now, Justine drives a motorcycle taxi to help support his siblings. One week ago, Justine was involved in a road accident and fractured the second, third and fourth metatarsals on his right foot. He experiences pain and he cannot walk. He was told that his fracture would require surgery, and in the meantime, he is in a cast. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. On June 3rd, Justine will undergo a fracture repair procedure called an open reduction and internal fixation. Justine will no longer be in pain, and he will be able to walk and work. Now, AMH is requesting $1,016 to fund his procedure. Justine shared, “if I could be walking now, I could be out there looking for a job and supporting my family. I have faith that I will walk again."

Zayenda is a 59-year-old woman and a mother of five children. She is married and she and her husband work as farmers. 25 years ago, Zayenda began experiencing troubling symptoms, including neck swelling, breathing and swallowing problems and heart palpitations. She gets fatigued easily and her breathing problems worsen when she strains. Her condition has made it difficult for her to continue farming. She was diagnosed with a nodular goiter, or enlarged thyroid, and she needs a thyroidectomy to prevent her symptoms from worsening. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Zayenda receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on July 6th at AMH's care center, where surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. The procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising the funds to cover the cost of her procedure. Zayenda shared, “I hope to get relieved and I have faith that I will be able to continue with farming so as to continue providing to my family.”

Tarik is four-month-old baby boy and the youngest in a family of four children. Tarik’s parents are small scale farmers and grow food mainly for their own family's consumption. Tarik was born with congenital 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 as he grows up. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Tarik receive treatment. His family visited AMH's care center where surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on July 13th and now, they need help to fund the $935 procedure. After treatment, Tarik will be able to grow up with a full life ahead! Tarik’s mother shared, "it is through God’s blessings and people’s support that my baby has made it this far. He needs to start treatment for his legs. Please help correct by baby’s disability so that he can grow up like other children.”

Rhophence is struggling to speak when we meet her. She cannot pronounce words clearly or eat regularly due to a mandibular mass. She was diagnosed with Mandibular Fibrous Dysplasia, which is also causing her teeth to loosen on the affected area. She is scheduled for a 10-hour surgery at our Medical Partner's Care Center Kijabe Hospital. Her chronic mandibular swelling started back in October 2020 as a small swelling and has gradually increased in size, so Rhophence was forced to visit the hospital. She was treated for pain in their local health centre and discharged home. But, the swelling worsened and Rhophence opted to visit Kijabe in May 2021. Several tests revealed the Mandibular Fibrous Dysplasia diagnosis and surgery was recommended. She does not have the funds for the various procedures to relieve her pain. She is a single mother of four children aged between 30 and 18 years. She comes from a remote village along the Kenyan coast. She is currently jobless with no source of income and stays with her younger brother who she depends on for survival. The surgery is estimated to cost about $4,500. She has active national health insurance coverage that has only approved $2,000. She is unable to raise the remaining amount. She fundraised money for travel fare to come to Kijabe and she is now being hosted in the local centre by a relative. Rhophence shared, "This swelling is so painful. My mouth is deformed and I cannot even speak clearly. It’s sadly starting to give a bad odour making people close to me uncomfortable. This is affecting my life. I need these surgeries to normalize my life.”

Naw Lah is a 24-year-old woman who lives in a refugee camp in Northern Thailand. She is 40 weeks pregnant with her first child. She recently went into labor and was brought to our medical partner's care center by Malteser International (MI) Thailand staff. The doctor there initially expected her to deliver the baby vaginally, but when labor stopped progressing, the obstetrician suspected that her baby was in distress. Fortunately, our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) is helping Naw Law to deliver her baby safely. On August 25th, she will undergo an emergency C-Section at BCMF's care center. Now, she needs help raising $1,500 to fund her procedure and care.