"Rosemary is very hopeful she will be well," says our medical partner in Ghana, Ortho FOCOS (OF). "She is thankful to all who wish to help her get well, more especially OF hospital for the love, support and willingness to help her stand tall." 18-year-old Rosemary has scoliosis, or a curvature in her spine. "She has minimal back pain but is unable to engage in strenuous activities," OF tells us. "She also cannot walk a long distance. She is the only person in her family with this deformity and as a result she is sometimes discriminated against. This makes her feel sad most of the time." Rosemary's parents have both passed away, and she lives with her five siblings. She has one older brother, but he is unable to pay for scoliosis surgery to straighten her spine. The FOCOS Sponsor A Patient Fund has contributed $7500 to Rosemary's surgery, but she still needs an additional $1500 to cover the remainder of the costs. Rosemary hopes that after surgery, she will be able to continue her studies without feeling embarrassed in front of her peers. "She dreams of becoming a nurse in the future," says OF.

This is Seada, a 19-year-old young woman from Ethiopia. “Seada lives with her parents and older sister in a single room hut in a remote village," explains our medical partner, Ortho FOCOS (OF). "She is unable to work and is supported by her parents who are peasant farmers. Seada is in school and dreams of becoming an entrepreneur. She also loves to read.” Seada has kyphosis - an unnatural curvature of her spine that creates a large hump on her back. "She cannot work and is often teased because of her condition. Walking is very difficult and she is unable to lay on her back. She is in a great deal of pain,” explains OF. For $1,500, Seada will receive corrective surgery, from which she “is expected to receive significant benefits. It will stop her condition from progressing and will save her life. She is not expected to return to a ‘normal’ stature, but she will see significant gains,” explains OF.

"I am hoping that Watsi will help me so that I can be well again," Jacinta tells us. "This way, I could meet my dream of starting a green grocery to supplement my husband's income.” Jacinta is a 50-year-old mother of four from Kenya. Her husband is a public vehicle driver, but does not have a stable income. For years, Jacinta has dreamed of opening a grocery store to supplement her husband's income and support her family. But for the past two years, Jacinta has been unable to pursue this dream. She was diagnosed with uterine fibroids -- benign tumors in the lining of her uterus. "Jacinta has been experiencing lower abdominal pain, heavy bleeding and body weakness," says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). "If not treated, Jacinta will continue to bleed and the body weakness will get worse. She is also likely to suffer from anaemia due to the heavy bleeding." “I have struggled a lot with this condition and it is by God’s grace that I have been directed to come to Nazareth [our partner hospital]," Jacinta shares. For $790, we can fund Jacinta's total abdominal hysterectomy. This procedure will remove her uterus and cervix, and relieve her pain and bleeding. “We expect after treatment, Jacinta will recover fully," AMHF adds. "She will be well again to take care of her family and achieve her dream of starting a business."

Say hello to Irma, a 15-year-old girl from Guatemala! “Irma is a very bright student. Her mom is proud of how much she has learned in school and hopes that she will go on to be a successful teacher herself," says our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). Unfortunately, “for the last few months, Irma has been having devastating seizures. They are not that frequent, just once every 2 weeks or so. But when they happen she loses consciousness, falls over, and remains out for about an hour. This is causing major disruptions at school, and she is now afraid to go to school,” explains WK. For $745, Irma will receive the tests to determine where her seizures are coming from as well as the treatment plan required to stop them from occurring in the future. “This is so embarrassing for me. I just want to be better so that my friends won’t laugh at me and so I can get back to school,” explains Irma. Let’s help Irma get healthy again and back in school for good!

This is Mbone, a young baby from Tanzania. Mbone was born with a unilateral club foot, which will make it difficult for him to learn to walk. "When the time comes for him to walk he will use the lateral aspect of his right foot for walking if not treated. His gait will be affected as well as his ability to perform other activities.” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Without the ability to walk normally, Mbone will likely fall behind in school and in life. Mbone’s parents are small scale farmers, and rely on the often-unpredictable harvest for their income. They work very hard to support their children, but often struggle to make ends meet. Fortunately, Mbone and his parents came to our medical partner in Tanzania for treatment and Mbone’s club foot can be treated for $1160. With funding, doctors will surgically correct Mbone's foot, enabling him to develop normally and participate in all the same activities as his peers. “We are happy to know that such defects can actually be correct and that is what we need for our son: for him to have straight feet so that later on he can walk properly, work hard and be independent,” says Mbone's mother.