Three-year-old Ester lives with her mother, father, and her three older siblings in Tanzania. Her father is a self-employed carpenter, and her mother sells the vegetables she grows in her garden at an open market in their village. Ester loves to play with her dolls, and will carefully carry her biggest doll to meals and feed her doll during mealtimes. Ester was born with genu varus, or "bow legs," a condition that is fairly normal during early child development. Ester’s mother became concerned about Ester’s legs when she turned 18 months old and still had unusual gait and instability. "Ester wiggles when walking. She often falls down when she tries to run and she can’t keep up when running with other children. Ester will be at risk of developing osteoarthritis at a young age if not treated," explains our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. Ester’s mother took her to various hospitals and attempted to treat her legs with adjusting her diet and adding multivitamins, but it did not help. Since Ester still has bow legs at her age, it must be rectified with surgery. Ester needs $940 to have her bow legs surgically repaired. The total cost will cover the surgery, three days of inpatient care, and two weeks of outpatient care. The surgery will give her better gait and reduce her risk of developing osteoarthritis. Ester’s mother is excited for Ester’s full recovery. “I will be happy to see my daughter with straight legs and able to walk properly,” she says.

"Savon fell on 13 November 2015 causing a femoral neck fracture," her doctor shares. "She didn't have money to go to a hospital so she stayed at home until she heard about Children's Surgical Centre (our partner hospital in Cambodia). Now, she cannot walk and is in a wheelchair." Savon 70 years old and is married with 3 sons and 2 daughters. She is a farmer, and she enjoys watching moves on TV, listening to the radio, and cooking food. She traveled 1 hour to CSC with her sons. For $392, Savon can receive the hemiarthroplasty that she needs to walk again. This procedure replaces one half of the hip joint with a prosthetic while leaving the other half intact. “I hope after surgery I can walk,” shares Savon.

Ramila is a two-year-old girl from Nepal who recently started kindergarten. “She likes sharing the stories she learned in school at home," our medical partner, Possible, shares. "Her favorite game is gatta, played by balancing five stones on one's hand." “She was returning from school when she slipped and fractured her right elbow,” explains Possible. “She has been in a lot of pain and it has considerably swollen too." Her broken elbow has understandably made it difficult to live her normal life and keep up with school. Ramila’s family brought her to the hospital, but are unable to afford the proper care that Ramila needs. "Ramila is so young, she's just started school. I worry what will happen if her elbow is not fixed," says her mother. $579 will allow Ramila to undergo open reduction and internal fixation surgery. In this procedure, surgeons place the bones in the correct position and fix them in place with metal pins. Ramila's elbow will then be placed in a cast so the bones can heal properly, and after four to six weeks, the cast will be removed and Ramila will begin to recover use of her arm and get back to being a normal kindergartener.

Cosmas, a shy but ambitious 16-year-old boy from Tanzania, lives with his parents and five siblings. According to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), Cosmas, “has big dreams of becoming an engineer.” AMHF adds that Cosmas “enjoys mathematics, science and history.” After studying, Cosmas loves playing football. Due to a unilateral clubfoot—Cosmas is unable to attend school and play soccer with his friends. Clubfoot is a condition in which the connecting tendons between the leg and foot are tighter than usual, causing the foot to turn inward. “Cosmas is using the lateral aspect of his right foot for walking, which has affected his gait. He is also unable to wear shoes,” AMHF tells us. If left untreated, Cosmas’ condition can increase the risk of him developing premature osteoarthritis. Although his parents are supportive, AMHF states that they are “small scale farmers, relying on growing and selling maize, beans and green bananas.” As such, their income alone is insufficient to cover the cost of Cosmas’ treatment and provide for the rest of the family as well. With $1,160, Cosmas will undergo an operation to surgically correct his clubfoot. Included in the cost of treatment, Cosmas will be fitted for a foot abduction brace. To support his recovery, Cosmas will spend a minimum of three months at Plaster House—a rehabilitation program. At Plaster House, Cosmas will receive specialist support and therapy to help him regain use of his foot. After he recovers, AMHF expects, “Cosmas’ gait will improve and he will be able to walk again.” Cosmas shares, “I am very passionate about playing football. I wish I could play competently and also go back to school.”

Meet Orbele, a 15-year-old boy from Tanzania. Orbele lives with his aunt, uncle, and three cousins. According to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), Orbele is a “polite boy who enjoys studying mathematics and history.” Outside of school, Orbele used to enjoy playing soccer, but due to bilateral genu valgus ("knocked knees"), he is currently restricted to a more sedentary lifestyle. Bilateral genu valgus occurs when the knees angle outwards, ultimately causing the lower legs to be positioned away from each other. While this is a common condition in very young children and typically resolves itself naturally, Orbele’s case has only worsened with time. “Orbele’s legs started to bend inwards when he was nine years old,” explains AMHF. Now, “he is unable to walk without knocking his knees. The condition has affected his gait and ability to walk or run quickly—he also complains of pain, especially on his left knee after walking a long distance.” Unless he receives treatment, Orbele risks developing osteoarthritis. AMHF says that while his aunt and uncle “love Orbele very much and would like to see him able to walk like he used to,” they do not have the income to cover his treatment costs and support the rest of the family. With $940, Orbele will undergo surgery to straighten and realign his legs. Included in the total cost of treatment, Orbele will receive specialist care from Plaster House—a rehabilitation program. During his three months at Plaster House, Orbele will have two weeks of intensive physiotherapy, which will be critical to his successful recovery. Following surgery and rehabilitation, AMHF shares, “Orbele will be able to walk properly and will decrease his chances of developing osteoarthritis at a young age.” Orbele shares, “I dream of becoming a primary school teacher!”