Rosario is a newborn baby girl who lives with her family in Guatemala. Rosario’s father is a day laborer on a farm nearby, and her mother helps her mother-in-law take care of the house and land. “Rosario is suffering from acute malnutrition due to lactation failure,” shares our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). “When examined by our medical team, Rosario had very little energy. Her mother does not have enough money to pay for formula, and if intervention does not occur soon Rosario will be in danger of permanent mental and physical damage or death.” Rosario’s mother is 18 years old and had a very complicated pregnancy and birth, in which Rosario required critical care. Despite these previous complications, Rosario’s mother is extremely dedicated to the health of her baby. “When she realized she could not produce sufficient breast milk, she immediately came to our clinic asking for help,” explains WK. “She cries because she is hungry and there is nothing I can do,” shares her mother. “I feel so helpless and embarrassed. She is my first child and I just want the best for her.” Fortunately, treating lactation failure is easy and effective. With our support of $1,220, WK will be able to work with Rosario and her family to prevent future threats of malnutrition. Doctors will provide a combination of milk formula supplementation, growth monitoring and intensive nutrition education to give Rosario and her mother the tools Rosario needs to survive and thrive. “We believe our treatment plan will allow Rosario to recoup the weight she has lost and start to develop normally,” explains WK. “She will avoid the loss of developmental milestones, and grow to her full mental and physical potential.”

Meet Cho Than, a 53-year-old seamstress and mother from Burma who enjoys planting vegetables in her garden. Known within her community for her generosity, Cho Than often gives the vegetables that she grows to her neighbors and friends. Cho Than has a myoma, more commonly known as a uterine fibroid. Fibroids are benign tumors that grow within the muscle tissue of the uterus, or womb. They can be very small (invisible to the naked eye) or very large (melon-sized) and can present as a single mass or a cluster of several masses. An estimated 80 percent of women have uterine fibroids in their lifetime. While some women who have fibroids have no symptoms, others experience heavy periods, abdominal pain, or constipation. “Cho Than experiences severe pain in her back and lower abdomen,” shares our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). “She has difficulty urinating and it is painful for her to do so. Her condition makes it impossible for her to work and requires her daughter to care for her and support her financially.” The recommended treatment for Cho Than is a total hysterectomy and oophorectomy (surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries). $1500 covers the cost of the surgery as well as a seven-day hospital stay and one outpatient appointment post-surgery. “With surgery, Cho Than will be able to live without pain,” reports BBP. Cho Than looks forward to being healthy again and hopes to be able to return to work as a seamstress. She dreams of owning a small house where she and her daughter can live peacefully.

“Akanyijuka is very grateful for any help you can give him and looks forward to getting well and helping others as you have helped him,” shares our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation (KF). Akanyijuka is a 27-year-old man from Uganda. KF tells us, “Akanyijuka and his sister were orphaned at a very young age and have been on their own since then. Because they were orphaned, they were unable to afford school fees to obtain an education. Akanyijuka has been supporting his sister as a laborer but has been unable to work for a while.” Akanyijuka was sidelined by a hernia—a condition in which an organ or fatty tissue squeezes through a weak spot in a surrounding muscle or connective tissue. Untreated for a long period of time, Akanyijuka’s hernia led to a blockage in his intestine. This blockage prevents the passage of fluid or digested food through his intestine, causing severe bloating, abdominal pain, decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. After living with the blockage for a period of time, Akanyijuka has become severely malnourished. KF explains, “Akanyijuka has been unable to absorb nutrients properly and is unable to work.” With $227 in funding, Akanyijuka will receive surgery to repair the tear in his tissue, thus treating his hernia. The funding will cover surgery, medication, and Akanyijuka’s 14-day hospital stay. Following surgery, Akanyijuka will be able to return to work and continue to support himself and his sister.

Meet Phon, a 56-year-old farmer from Cambodia. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, tells us, “Phon is married and has three sons, five daughters and eleven grandchildren. In his free time he likes to keep abreast of Cambodian current affairs.” For the last three years, Phon has lived with glaucoma in his left eye. He has excessive pressure inside his eye, which can ultimately result in optic nerve damage. Phon cannot see well out of that eye—it causes him a good deal of pain and tears up constantly. For $300, we can fully fund surgery to treat the glaucoma, as well as a two-day hospital stay and post-operative medication. After his surgery, Phon looks forward to having a pain-free eye and continuing his job as a rice farmer.