Susan is a seven-year-old girl in the first grade and the second child in her family. Unfortunately, Susan was involved in a grisly road traffic accident when a vehicle lost control on March 8th, 2021. Five children and the teachers were hit, and one child unfortunately passed away. Susan survived despite sustaining fractures on her right hand and leg. She was brought to our medical partner's care center, Nazareth Hospital, and had a fracture repair surgery on her hand and leg. One week ago the plates were removed. Susan's hand has healed well but she has started having severe pain on her leg. When Susan's parents brought her back to the hospital, a X-Ray showed the fracture has reoccurred, and the surgeon recommended a repeat surgery. Without treatment, Susan will continue experiencing the pain, she may never be able to use her leg again, or her leg may eventually heal with a deformity. Fortunately, the surgeons at Nazareth can help. On July 1st, Susan is scheduled to undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. Afterward, Susan will freed from pain and will be able to use her leg to walk to school and play again. Susan’s father works temporarily as a welder and her mother is a housewife. Their income is limited and their health insurance can no longer cover for another surgery after supporting the previous one. Therefore, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMH), is requesting $1,049 to fund this procedure for Susan. “We thank God that our child is alive as one child died during the accident. We are hoping her surgery can be successful so that we can see her happy again and not in pain. We plead for her surgery sponsorship, ” Susan’s father wishes for her daughter's full recovery.

Meet Muteyanjula, a 10-month-old child from Uganda who lives with his parents and two older siblings. His mother is a farmer and grows food for their family, while his father works as a taxi driver to pay for his siblings' school fees. When Muteyanjula was four months old, his mother noticed an inguinal swelling. At first, Muteyanjula's family didn't have the money to take him to the hospital, so his grandmother advised them to give him local herbs. Unfortunately this did not improve his condition. Muteyanjula was first taken to the regional referral hospital, where he was diagnosed with a left inguinal hernia—a protrusion of intestinal tissue through a tear in the abdominal wall. The doctors said he was too young for an operation and should wait until he turned five years old to have the surgery. But soon his family learned that if not treated right away, Muteyanjula may suffer intestinal tissue damage due to hernia twisting and blocking. "He needs help," shares Muteyanjula's mother. Although Muteyanjula urgently needs an operation to prevent further damage, his family is unable to pay for his surgery. $249 will cover the costs of a hernia repair procedure, in which doctors will surgically reposition the protrusion of intestinal tissue and fix the tear in his abdominal wall. This will also pay for his hospital stay before and after the operation, so that Muteyanjula can quickly recover and return home to his family. Surgery is scheduled for October 11. After surgery Muteyanjula will have a healthy childhood and his parents will have peace of mind.

Kyampaire is a 38-year-old farmer, wife, and mother of five children from Uganda. Her husband is also a farmer, and four of their children are currently enrolled in either primary or secondary school. For three years, Kyampaire has been experiencing a swelling in her neck that has made it difficult for her to swallow. She was recently diagnosed with a multinodolar goiter, or an enlarged thyroid gland, and requires surgical treatment. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $240 to cover the cost of Kyampaire's thyroidectomy. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 29 and, once completed, will allow Kyampaire to swallow normally and live more comfortably, free from other medical complications that the goiter could potentially cause. Kyampaire looks forward to life after treatment, saying, “I hope to be relieved of this condition and I have a better life and I work with my husband in crop growing for the betterment of our family.”

Sila is a middle-aged-man who is battling a pancreatic cyst. He is a father to three children aged 15, 13, and three. Two of his children are in primary school and live with their grandparents as Sila is not able to provide for them. His wife does not work, making Sila the sole breadwinner of the family. He has been working as a casual worker with a shoe making industry doing odd jobs, however, he had to stop in mid-July 2016 due to his medical condition. Sila's family lives in a single roomed house and are currently relying on friends to meet their daily needs. In August 2015, Sila had an operation done to remove a growth in his lungs and liver. He recovered and went back to work. However, in the beginning of July 2016, he noted some swelling in the former surgical point and decided to seek medical advice. He was given some medication and with no improvement, he came to our facility. Sila has been diagnosed with pancreatic pseudocyst and is in need of urgent surgery. For $620, AIC Kijabe Hospital will perform surgery to remove Sila's pancreatic cyst. Sila shares, “I want to be treated and go back to work to help my family”.

Mary is a cute little baby girl who was born less than one month ago in Tanzania. She is the third child in her family, and she is loved by all of her family members. Mary was born with an open lesion on her lower back that is leaking cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Her condition—known as spina bifida—is a birth defect in which several vertebrae in the lower back do not close properly, leaving the baby’s spinal canal exposed. The spinal cord and its surrounding membranes protrude through the opening in the backbone, forming a sac on the baby’s lower back that may tear and leak. If not treated, Mary will be at risk of easily contracting an infection, and she will continue to lose CSF, which could be fatal. As is common in infants with spina bifida, Mary also has hydrocephalus, a condition in which there is an accumulation of CSF in the brain. Too much fluid can increase pressure on the brain and inside the skull, leading to an enlarged head and developmental issues. Mary's head is unusually soft, and the circumference has slowly been increasing in size. Mary’s parents are small-scale farmers who rely on growing and selling maize and beans to support their family. As much as they would like to help their daughter, the cost of surgery is too expensive for them. Her mother worries about what will happen to Mary, as she has never seen a child with this condition. Fortunately, the baby girl is feeding well. For $1,200 in funding, Mary will undergo two surgical procedures to close the lesion on her spine and drain the excess fluid from her brain. First, doctors will place the spinal cord and membranes back inside the spinal canal and close the opening on her back. Next, they will place a shunt in Mary's brain to drain the excess fluid and transport it to her abdomen, where it can be resorbed by the body. Funding for Mary also includes 10 days of hospital care, lab tests, medicine, five physical therapy sessions, and a two-week stay at The Plaster House for recovery and rehabilitation. “How we wish our daughter to get well," shares Mary's mother. "We’ll take her to school so that she can study and later on get a good job and live an independent life."

Angela is a 44-year-old mother of six children who lives in the Philippines. Seven years ago, Angela began tiring easily when doing household chores and would sometimes not finish her tasks for the day because she would need to stop and rest multiple times. She also began feeling nervous and having difficulty sleeping at night due to discomfort. To support the family, Angela's eldest son works as a fisherman and gives his mother money every month. His income is necessary to provide for their daily needs, as Angela's husband leaves only enough money to cover a month's worth of expenses when he goes away for five months of the year. Angela cannot work as she has to take care of her children, and she tries hard to keep them in school. Recently, Angela was visited by her family's pastor and a friend who is a part of our sponsored community to discuss a program to help her family elevate their economic status. During the second week of the program, Angela underwent a medical screening and was diagnosed with thyroiditis, a condition involving inflammation of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate the body's metabolism. When the gland is inflamed, thyroid hormone production can decrease, leading to fatigue. After completing blood tests, Angela was cleared to undergo surgery to remove her thyroid so that her condition would not progress. $1,500 covers the cost of Angela's surgery, transportation to and from the hospital, 10 days of hospital care—including medicine, imaging, and additional blood tests—and medication to take after she goes home. Angela looks forward to having more strength to take care of her family. "I would like to be healed and become better to serve my children and family and have quality time with them," she shares. "I want to be effective as a mother and friend to them. Thank you for your kind hearts."

"I wish to become an accountant when I grow up so I can help my mother with her business," shares Phyu Zin, a 13-year-old girl who is quick to smile and laugh. In school, she likes her math courses, and in her free time, she enjoys watching movies and spending time with school friends and her cousin. Phyu Zin lives with her parents, two older sisters, brother in-law, and niece in Burma. Her father works in the lumber industry, felling trees and sawing them into construction planks. The family’s average income is sufficient for their day-to-day needs, with limited savings and funds for healthcare expenses. At two months of age, Phyu Zin developed pneumonia with a fever and nasal drainage. Her parents took her to Kawkareik Clinic for medication. Upon examining the girl, the doctor detected a heart condition known as tetralogy of Fallot—a congenital disease comprising four different heart defects that cause oxygen-poor blood to flow from the heart to the rest of the body. Phyu Zin returned to the clinic three times in her first year of life for repeat incidents of fever. On each occasion, she was medicated for her immediate symptoms. When Phyu Zin was eight years old, her symptoms worsened. She was always tired, and exercise easily fatigued her. She was tired at school and could not walk far or fast. In addition, she experienced several spells of dizziness at school. Until two months ago, Phyu Zin was a student in the sixth grade. However, her declining health forced her to drop out of school, as she could not keep up with her class work and the large, noisy classes made her uncomfortable. Her current symptoms are difficulty breathing—especially when active—and she is easily fatigued. Her mother places cold compresses on her when her breathing is labored. The past several years have been very difficult for Phyu Zin's family, as so much time, energy and resources have been dedicated to Phyu Zin. They have been worried about their ability to secure treatment for her and were glad to learn about Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) from a family member. Phyu Zin's parents brought her to MTC, and the medics referred her to Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) as a surgical candidate. For $1500, Phyu Zin will receive a complete diagnostic workup to assess her heart function and undergo corrective surgery to restore normal blood flow within her heart. Funding also covers the costs of 12 pre- and post-operative consultations, transportation to and from the hospital, and three weeks of hospital care during assessment and recovery.

Meet Kadogo, an eight-year-old girl from Tanzania who has a clubfoot – a condition that prevents her from walking normally. “Kadogo is using the lateral aspect of her feet for walking, which is painful," reports our partner African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). "If not treated, Kadogo will never have a normal gait and she will most likely have an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis at a young age." Kadogo is the sixth of seven children in her family. AMHF tells us, “She is in kindergarten and enjoys singing the ABC’s and counting numbers. She also likes to play ball games. Kadogo’s father is a night guard at a private organization and her mother is a homemaker and also does a little bit of farming. Kadogo’s parents work hard to take care of their children. It has just been difficult to come up with enough money to pay for the treatment which Kadogo needs." For $1160, we can heal Kadogo’s clubfoot and allow her to walk normally. After treatment, AMHF explains, “Kadogo’s gait will improve. She will be able to walk on a plantigrade and have a reduced risk of developing osteoarthritis at a young age."

This is Chrislove. She is 12-years-old, and lives in Haiti with her mom and two sisters. She is shy and intelligent, and likes to write poetry and draw pictures. Chrislove had a severe case of strep throat when she was a young child, and it was left untreated for a long time. As a result, it damaged two valves in her heart. Chrislove has had to miss school for the last three years due to the cardiac condition called rheumatic heart disease. Her heart can no longer pump blood through her body with enough force, and if left untreated it could be fatal. If Chrislove gets medical attention soon, she could see a full recovery, and will get a chance to lead a normal life. Chrislove’s mother can’t afford the $1,500 surgery, and needs our help. Together we can help Chrislove receive the treatment she needs and grow into a happy and healthy young woman. Chrislove says, “I have been sick for so long it is like a dream to know that I will be healthy again. Thank you to everyone!”

“The bleeding is making it difficult for me to go and work in my neighbor’s houses,” shares Alice. “I really hope that Watsi will help me so that I can get well and be able to care for my children.” Say hi to Alice, a 45-year-old single mother of two from Kenya. “Her younger child is in secondary school form four and the older one is at home after completing form four,” explains our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). “Alice does laundry and cleans houses for neighbors to earn money to meet her family’s basic needs.” For three years, Alice has been experiencing lower abdominal pain and heavy bleeding with clots caused by bleeding masses in her uterus, called fibroids. According to AMHF, an ultrasound scan exposed “large intramural fibroids wit the largest being 5.6 cm by 3.7 cm.” If Alice doesn’t receive treatment, the fibroids will continue to grow, affecting the surrounding body organs, and she will be at risk for anemia due to heavy bleeding. A surgeon at AMHF has recommended a total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), a surgery Alice is unfortunately unable to afford. We can fund a successful TAH for $790. “We expect after a TAH, Alice will be relieved from the heavy bleeding and pain. She will no longer be at risk of anemia,” describe AMHF doctors. “Alice will recover and be able to work so that she can provide for her family.”

“I want to save and buy land so that I can give my children a place they can call home,” says Elizabeth. Meet Elizabeth, a 40-year-old single mother of four from Kenya who has early stage cervical cancer. “Elizabeth suffers from severe side pains. If the surgery is not done soon, the cancer will spread to other organs and this would lead to premature death,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). “Elizabeth was abandoned by the father of her children and left to take care of the children alone. Elizabeth works as a casual farm hand and has rented a quarter acre of land where she has planted potatoes to enable her to provide for her children. Elizabeth is not able to raise the full amount of money needed for her treatment,” continues AMHF. For $800, we can fund an abdominal hysterectomy – the ideal treatment for her cancer. This procedure will save her life and allow her to support her family once again. AMHF concludes, “We expect that the surgery will save Elizabeth’s life and she will be cancer free. Elizabeth will be able to focus on achieving her dream.”

“Our daughter is only four months old and we only hope she survives this condition and grows up to be healthy,” Imran’s parents say. This is Imran, a four-month-old baby girl from Somalia. She and her family traveled over 2000 km to seek treatment for her condition in Ethiopia. Imran has an abnormal bladder that causes urine to leak from her kidney into her body. Her family cannot afford the treatment that she requires; her doctors write that their trip from Somalia was paid for by “good Samaritans.” If left untreated, Imran will continue to have urinary incontinence and she will experience further damage to her bladder. For $1,500, Imran will receive surgery to repair her bladder. “We expect after treatment Imran will be able to control her urine,” says African Mission Healthcare Foundation, our medical partner. Let’s help Imran be able to grow up healthy.