Abi is a one-year-old baby from Ethiopia who loves to play with his mother. His father serves in their church, and his mother is a homemaker. His parents share that their income is limited and only supports their basic day-to-day needs. Abi's parents also share that he was born prematurely, along with his twin sister, who unfortunately passed away after birth. Since birth, Abi has had a bilateral inguinal hernia, a condition that results from weakness in the abdominal wall, as well as hypospadias, which will need treatment in the future. The hernia causes him to experience irritability, pain, discomfort, and a reduced appetite. Despite his mother traveling to multiple different hospitals in attempts to have her son treated, he still has not received his much-needed hernia repair surgery due to his family's financial constraints. Fortunately, Abi will finally undergo hernia repair surgery on August 16th with the help of our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Now, AMHF is requesting $591 to fund Abi's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. His mother shares, “We are having a hard time since the birth of Abi. He is suffering, and we couldn’t get him the treatment. I am always afraid of losing him, as I lost his twin sister. He can’t sit, and I am worried it’s because of his condition. He vomits the food I feed him. But since I got here, I have hope that he will get the treatment and heal. I hope he will sit and eat well after the surgery.”

Seang Im is a 56-year-old rice farmer with one son, two daughters, and eight grandchildren. Seang Im lives with her husband and their youngest daughter. She likes to listen to the news and monks praying on the radio. One year ago, Seang Im developed glaucoma in her left eye. Glaucoma results from damage to the eye's optic nerve, or the nerve connecting the eye to the brain. This causes her blurry vision and pain. She is uncomfortable and struggles to see clearly. Seang Im traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On April 18th surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will perform a glaucoma procedure to improve her vision. Now, CSC is helping Seang Im raise $298 to fund this procedure. Seang Im says, "I hope after surgery the pain goes away and I am able to see my relatives clearly. I would like to take care of my grandchildren and do my housework well."

Nimo is a 3 year old girl, living with her grandmother in Ethiopia. When she was just a few months old, Nimo's parents gave her to her grandmother, as with four other children already at home and Nimo's medical condition, they were unable to take care of Nimo. Nimo's grandmother, who has a small business, was already supporting four other people, so she shared that it is hard for them to survive from day to day. Nimo was born with a congenital malformation, that led to a blockage in her intestines. At first, when Nimo began to show signs of this condition, her family didn't have the funds to take her to the hospital. By the time someone provided funds so that Nimo could get to the hospital, she was weak and underweight from malnourishment. An emergency colostomy was performed, and over time, Nimo gained strength, and is now able to run and play with her friends. However, she still has multiple issues that require medical attention and additional surgery to help her fully heal. Nimo is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct her condition on July 5th, at BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Nimo's procedure and care. After her recovery, Nimo will no longer experience bowel dysfunction, or be at risk of developing related health complications in the future. Nimo's grandmother says: “When she heals, I will go to my home and celebrate with my family. ”

Catherine works hard to care for her two children. She currently lives with her partner who works different part-time jobs to help make ends meet for their family. A month ago, Catherine began experiencing abdominal pain. She got checked at her local health center and was advised to undergo an ultrasound. The test showed that she is suffering from Cholecystolithiasis, a condition where there are one or more gallstones in her gallbladder. Their family already finds it hard to sustain their day-to-day needs, so didn't know where to find the money for her needed surgery. Fortunately, a health center worker knew about our partner care facility, the Our Lady of Peace Hospital, and was able to reach out to World Surgical Foundation Philippines and Watsi for support. Catherine is now scheduled to undergo surgery to correct her condition on April 7th. Our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, is requesting $1,253 to cover the total cost of Catherine's procedure and care. After her recovery, Catherine will no longer experience severe abdominal pain or be at risk of developing severe health complications in the future. “My maintenance medicine costs more than our daily meal budget. I’m grateful to WSFP and WATSI for helping us. Aside from the fact that I’ll be free from pain, I can now take good care of my children,” she shared.

Chhem is a retired rice farmer who needs cataract surgery to help him see clearly again. Chem and his wife have three sons, two daughters, and fifteen grandchildren. All of their children work as farmers, as well. Chhem shared that he likes to go to the pagoda and listen to the monks pray. Three years ago, Chhem developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him photophobia, tearing, and blurry vision. As a result, he has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so he cannot go out on his own. When Chhem learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for four and a half hours seeking treatment. On June 14th, doctors will perform cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. CSC is requesting $253 to fund this procedure. Chhem says, "After surgery, I hope I can see well enough to visit the pagoda by myself."

Lionel is a charming five-month-old baby from Colombia. He was born near the northern coast and his parents are from Venezuela. After he was born, they moved to Medellin due to his father's job. Lionel was born with clubfoot of his right foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and wearing shoes as he grows older. Fortunately, Lionel's family traveled to visit our Medical Partner Clínica Noel where they can offer life-changing treatment. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on March 22nd. Our medical partner is requesting $1,422 to fund Lionel's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to learn how to walk and live a fully active life ahead. His father said: "I hope my little champion can get his surgery, I pray for his wellbeing. I just want his feet to be normal and hope to see him walking like any other child."

Bryton is a child from Tanzania. He is the oldest in a family of two children. He is a cheerful and happy little boy who is very talkative and loves helping his mother tend to their home vegetable garden and chase the chickens in their homestead in the evenings. Bryton’s parents are both subsistence farmers who do not earn enough to be able to afford Bryton’s treatment. Bryton has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, Bryton has been experiencing fevers, seizures and he is not able to sit or walk on his own. Without treatment, Bryton will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $728 to cover the cost of surgery for Bryton that will treat his hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on August 5th and will drain the excess fluid from Bryton's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Bryton will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. Bryton’s mother says, “Please help my son get this treatment so that he is able to return to his cheerful self.”

"Paulo is a cute and happy five-month-old baby boy," African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) tells us about this only child from Tanzania. "Paulo’s parents are small scale farmers. They were given a small piece of land by Paulo’s grandfather and their major income is through that piece of land." Paulo was born with clubfoot in both of his feet and affects his gait when he walks. Clinicians at AMHF have been able to take a look and have recommended a corrective surgery so this can be taken care of early in Paulo's life. "When Paulo starts to walk, he will be able to step on his feet and walk on plantigrade," AMHF continues. "Chances of developing early osteoarthritis will also decrease." We wish for him to be able to walk properly when the time comes and be independent as he continues to grow,” Paulo's mother says of her baby boy. Let's fund the surgery Paulo needs to walk properly for the rest of his life.

Just looking at his picture, you can tell that Wood is going to blossom with personality as he grows up. Wood is a 12-month-old boy from Haiti who was born with syndactyly, a condition where two or more of his fingers are fused together. Wood's mother explained to our medical partners, Project Medishare, that she was "very scared when she delivered and saw her baby in that condition." Wood's mother takes care of her four children and is also the sole breadwinner for the family, as their father does not currently have a job. This makes money tight. Wood's parents have been unable to afford surgery for their child. For $1,500, we can help fund surgical intervention for Wood. This will allow skilled doctors to operate on Wood and free him from a life of disability. Let's work together to allow Wood to grow up and use his hands like the other children around him!

Meet Lucky, a 21-month-old girl from Kenya. Lucky has advanced hydrocephalus, the symptoms of which include enlarged head size, increased intracranial pressure, and 'sunsetting eyes.' Lucky is at high risk of premature death or permanent brain damage if surgery is not performed soon. Lucky’s mother is a second year high school student who depends on Lucky’s grandparents for all of her needs. The grandparents are small-scale farmers, who have been able to make ends meet for their growing family, but cannot afford treatment for Lucky’s condition. Lucky’s grandmother says, “All I hope for is to have my grandchild treated, so that she can have a chance like other normal children. I hope we’ll get help for her treatment.” We can fund a life-saving shunt-incision surgery for $980, which will drain the excess fluid from Lucky’s brain and enable Lucky to live a healthy and normal life without the effects of hydrocephalus. Let’s help Lucky grow into a healthy young girl, free from pain and risk of brain damage!

Meet Martha, a 12-year-old girl from Kenya. Martha's mother died when she was giving birth, so Martha grew up in an orphanage. Martha lives with a brain tumor that causes her severe headaches and weakness in her legs. Left untreated, the brain tumor could cause permanent brain damage and possibly death. The orphanage where she lives takes great care of her, but they don't have the resources to pay for her treatment. "We are grateful that Martha has a chance of treatment," her guardian at the orphanage says. "We are thankful for those willing to support her surgery.” For $1,500, Martha will receive a craniotomy to remove the tumor. She will stop experiencing severe headaches, and she can live without risk of the tumor growing. Let's help Martha grow up healthy and strong!