Serah is a hard-working farmer and mother. Sadly, she has been widowed for over 30 years but is happy to have a loving family of seven children who are now adults that live with their own families. She has a small quarter-acre tea farm, but largely depends on her children for support in her older age. In December 2021, Serah found a painless lump that worried her. She visited a local health center where additional testing was recommended. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and a mastectomy, or a surgery to remove breast tissue, was recommended to rid her body of the cancer and to prevent the cancer from metastasizing. Without treatment, the cancer could spread to other organs. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Serah receive treatment. On January 25th, she will undergo a mastectomy at AMH's care center. After treatment, Serah will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Now, AMH is requesting $1,110 to cover the cost of her procedure and care. Serah shared, "all my life I have had the privilege of good health. We thank God. The news of cancer and surgery came as a surprise to me considering I am an old lady and fragile. I need this surgery to save my life from the jaws of this fatal disease."

Yabsera is a sweet, playful boy from Ethiopia. He loves to watch cartoon films and play hide and seek with his friends from the neighborhood. His favorite food is Shiro, a traditional stew in Ethiopia. Yabsera is also a bright student in grade one, and he loves English class the most of all his subjects. His mother raised him all on her own, doing labor work and washing clothes for income. She shared that she lost her parents when she was young and left her hometown to work in the city. Her income is only enough for the monthly expenses for her and Yabsera. Yabsera has been diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Yabsera has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Fortunately, Yabsera will receive assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), and undergo corrective surgery on December 7th. AMH is requesting $754 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Yabsera's mom shared, “I hope he will be good with his education. And I hope he will get a good job and earn well. I hope he will lead a quality life in the future. And I hope he will be healthy."

Lomayani is a 4-year-old boy and the fourth child of his mother. Lomayani has not started school yet, but his parents hope to enroll him once he is older and healthy. They shared that Lomayani is a shy, quiet boy who often likes to spend his time playing and listening to his older sibling’s stories. Lomayani’s parents sell milk from their cows and goats to provide for the family’s daily needs. Lomayani was born with clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape, causing difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Lomayani’s family traveled to visit the care center at our medical partner’s care, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). On November 16th, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery. AMH is requesting $935 to fund Lomayani’s procedure. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily and wear shoes. Lomayani told us, “I would like to be able to walk like my friends or other kids, please help me get this treatment. I have never played football because I am scared I will get hurt, but it looks like a fun game. I would really like to try playing too.”

Daniel is a bright student and the firstborn in a family of three children. He is a social and playful boy. Daniel is currently in class four and his best subjects are mathematic and Swahili. Daniel's parents are small-scale farmers who depend entirely on what they harvest for their food. They are having a hard time making ends meet so haven't been able to seek treatment for their son. Daniel has clubfoot of her right foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Daniel traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on October 26th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $890 to fund Daniel's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily. Daniel says “I will be happy if my foot is treated and I am able to wear shoes and walk normally.”

Nakoyai is a 13-year-old student and the second-born child in a family of five children and lives with her parents who keep livestock for a living. Nakoyai was involved in a motorbike accident while walking to school. This left her with acquired valgus of her left foot, in which the joint of the toe closest to the ankle is bent upwards, while the others are bent downwards. She has difficulty walking and was admitted to a local hospital for almost one year, throughout which her parents spent their savings and sold most of their cattle to pay the hospital bills. Nakoyai dropped out of school after her discharge from hospital because she was no longer able to walk to her school, which was quite far from her home. One year later, she received a scholarship to join a boarding school and was brought to our medical partner's care center seeking treatment. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Nakoyai. Treatment will hopefully restore Nakoyai's mobility, allowing her to participate in a variety of activities and greatly reducing her risk of future complications. The procedure is scheduled to take place on September 10th. Nakoyai shared, "I feel pain when I walk and I cannot play most of the sports at school because of my leg. I will be happy if my leg could be treated so that I can walk around and play like my friends.”

Furahini is a five-year-old student from Tanzania and the oldest child in a family of three children. Furahini is hardworking, friendly, and social; she is currently in kindergarten and loves coloring in her free time. "Furahini" is a Swahili word that means "be happy". Her grandmother suggested the name to her parents because even though they were worried about her birth condition, they were thankful for their firstborn child. Furahini has clubfoot of right foot, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. The condition causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Furahini to receive treatment. She traveled to visit AMH's care center where surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on August 10th. Now, AMH is requesting $935 to fund Furahini's procedure. After treatment, she will able to walk easily and wear shoes. Her grandmother shared, "my granddaughter is struggling to walk thus she was sent to stay with me so that she does not have to walk long distances to school. If she is able to have her foot corrected she will go back to her family and enjoy living with her parents and siblings."

Benjamin is a father of a four-year-old child who works as a motorbike (boda-boda) driver, earning about $3.70USD per day. His income is also inconsistent and depends on the availability of customers. He is the sole breadwinner for his family. Unfortunately, he has no active medical insurance coverage and has had to rely on relatives and friends to settle hospital bills. Benjamin is full of smiles but finds it difficult to sit up while sharing his story. He opts to talk while lying flat on his back. Benjamin is currently immobile, unable to sit and walk, as a result of a road traffic accident from the beginning of the month. When the 25-year-old hitched a ride on his friend's water truck, the vehicle lost control and he was thrown out the window. He immediately experienced severe back pain and lost consciousness. The accident left Benjamin with multiple fractures and wounds that will require several fracture repair and spine surgeries in order for him to sit, walk, and be able to continue with his normal routine roles again. After stays at various hospitals and numerous referrals, Benjamin arrived at our medical partner's care center, Kijabe Hospital, for care on July 17th. One of the obstacles to treatment he had faced at other hospitals was a long waiting list that meant a delay in much-needed care, but fortunately Kijabe is able to offer his needed care more urgently. At Kijabe Hospital, the doctors recommended a spinal fusion procedure for him to help regain his mobility. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $1,500 for Benjamin's critical surgery, scheduled to take place on July 26th. Benjamin shares, “I just sleep on my back and cannot even sit or walk. I cannot work and fend for my family. I need this surgery to get back to my Boda-boda job and raise my family."

When Brandon was one week old, his mother noticed that he had not passed stool since he was born, and his stomach was swollen and painful. His mother took him to a nearby facility for examination, where Brandon was immediately referred to another facility in Nairobi. However, due to financial difficulties, they cannot travel to Nairobi and instead went to a larger, nearby facility. When they arrived, Brandon was examined and given medication for him to pass stool. The medication worked to alleviate Brandon's discomfort, so he was discharged a few days after. However, after a few months, the medication became less effective and Brandon had to be taken to the clinic again. Brandon was admitted as an emergency patient and was given new medications, which were ineffective. His condition worsened. Fortunately, he was then referred to BethanyKids Hospital, a care center of our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH). Upon arrival to BethanyKids, he was examined again and after tests he has been diagnosed with problems in his colon. Brandon now requires a special surgery to finally treat his condition. Brandon is the youngest in a family of five children. His father was working as a security guard and was the breadwinner of the family, but passed away when Brandon was six months old. Brandon's mother does not have a stable job, and it is getting more difficult as work becomes scarce. Without medical insurance to pay for Brandon's procedure, his mother and AMH are requesting $743 to help pay for the expenses. Brandon’s mother appreciates the support, “I am very happy to hear that my son will be treated and grow up as a normal child. I am just requesting for any help so he may be treated.”

Hamza is a 4-year-old boy from Ethiopia and the sixth child of his parents. He loves to play football. He joined school but had to stop going as a result of his condition. Hamza's father died a year and a half ago and his mom runs a small business selling charcoal in their village. His three older siblings do small business as shoe shiners and daily workers. Hamza's mom shared that most of the time, their family eats twice a day because their income can't afford three meals a day. Hamza has been diagnosed with an abdominal mass called Neurofibomatosis. This causes swelling and a change of the shape of the abdomen. It also causes abdominal discomfort, pain, and bloating. Doctors have done a CT scan and identified a mass is on the wall of his abdomen that needs to be removed. His mother shared: “Hamza wants to learn and I want him also to go to school. I hope after the treatment he'll be as healthy as others and go to school.”

Joseph is a 59-year-old who relocated from his homeland to Kenya, where he has been for over 20 years. Joseph is a father to one child. His wife left their family many years ago. Currently, Joseph works as a day laborer and is especially well known for his tree cutting skills. He and his son stay with a family on their farm, where he often works. Several days ago, Joseph experienced an extremely painful accident. He fell from a tree when he was cutting tree branches. As a result, Joseph sustained multiple severe injuries, including multiple left rib fractures with a pneumothorax, and a closed intertrochanteric femur fracture on his right leg. He was rushed to our medical partner's care center Kapsowar Hospital, where he received emergency care and a chest tube was inserted to drain fluids surrounding his lungs caused by the impact of the incident. Since his admission, his condition has improved. Joseph was also put on traction to restore and maintain straight alignment and length of the fractured bone. Joseph is still bedridden and in pain, and is not able to walk and work. Despite this, he is optimistic that he will recover soon with proper treatment. Joseph requires funding for the fixation of his fracture to facilitate a full recovery. He is unable to raise any amount for his surgery, and appeals for financial support. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On April 27th, Joseph will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help Joseph recover from his pain and restore his mobility, allowing him to return to walking and working. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,016 to fund his procedure. Joseph shared, “My hope is to be healed and be on my feet again so that I can continue with my daily duties."

April is a 32-year-old health worker from Thailand. She lives with her co-worker, her co-worker’s husband and their three daughters on the border of Burma and Thailand. In her free time, April loves to watch comedy movies and listen to music. In January 2020, April was diagnosed with bilateral endometriotic cysts. She received surgery to remove the cysts from her right ovary and had her left ovary removed. Post surgery, April has been experiencing pain in her lower abdomen during the first day of her period. She has been diagnosed with a right ovarian tumor. To remedy this, doctors recommend that she undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If her condition is left untreated, April's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, April is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on March 24th. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is raising $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, she will no longer have to worry about the tumor returning or spreading. April shared, "I am scared to have surgery but I want to be healthy. I want to spend time with my family and I want to work happily.”

Yohana is a baby boy from Tanzania. Yohana is the only child to his parents who are small-scale farmers and livestock keepers. Yohana was out playing while his father was attending to the cattle, collecting cow dung from their cattle shed and burning it to keep the compound clean. His mother was cleaning dishes. Both parents were focused on their chores while Yohana went over to where the cow dung was burning. Unfortunately, he fell into it, sustaining burns on his hands and legs. Burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around his burn. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Yohana receive treatment. On February 16th, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery so he will be able to use his fingers freely. Now, their family needs help to fund this $874 procedure. Yohana’s father shared, “my son’s hands have been deformed. We would love for him to have both of his hands corrected, but the cost is too high for us to afford. Please help us.”