Collins is a young child from Kenya, who is the first born in a family of two children. His family hails from Mpuri village in Meru County. His mother is a housewife while his father is a mason. Collins has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Collins traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on January 13th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,224 to fund Collins's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily. “I am pleading for help for my son to undergo surgery so that he can walk and play like other children. I don’t want to see him struggling to walk. I will be happy to if you consider my son. God bless you,” Collin’s mother said.

Chamrong is a 19-year-old motorcycle mechanic from Cambodia. He has three siblings and enjoys playing soccer and hanging out with his friends. Ten years ago, Chamrong had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. For this reason, Chamrong experiences discharge, tinnitus, hearing loss, and headaches. He is often unable to hear or communicate with others effectively. Chamrong traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On November 21st, he will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in his right ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $842 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Chamrong said, "I hope that after my surgery, my ear infection will heal and my hearing will improve."

Ian is a baby from Kenya. He is the first born in a family of two children. Ian has clubfoot of his left foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Ian traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on February 19. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,224 to fund Ian's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk without pain and discomfort. “I am kindly seeking for help...Kindly help us and God will bless you," says his grandmother.

This is Chico, a three-year-old boy from Guatemala. Chico enjoys papayas, bananas, toy cars, and soccer. He is the youngest child of six from a poor family which has never left their small rural village in Guatemala. At the age of 3 months, Chico was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia. A hernia happens when soft tissue from the abdomen pushes through a weak spot in the lower abdominal wall, causing pain and swelling in the groin area. Despite noticing the hernia early, Chico’s and his parents have been waiting for a date for surgery for 2 years, trying to save money for this operation. However, after a long wait, a sudden cancellation has made it possible for Chico to get his surgery. Chico’s father tells our medical partner Wuqu’ Kawoq that “seeing my son in pain, and not being able to make it better has been murder for me. I am so happy to hear that he will finally receive the medical care he needs.” For $565 we can fund the operation to remove Chico’s hernia. This cost covers everything from preoperative costs to the medicine he will need to relieve any pain after his surgery. This operation will help Chico enjoy a normal childhood with his family.

Meet Aye Po, a 26-year-old woman who lives in Thailand. She is married and has two daughters who live with their father in another town. "Aye Po works for a factory cleaning out large bottles of filtered water and refillng them, something that often includes heavy lifting. She earns 3,000 baht ($92 USD) per month and this is enough to cover her costs and send a bit home to provide for her family," says our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). Aye Po was referred to our medical partner, Burma Border Projects, due to a large mass on her neck, a benign tumor. BBP explains, "Following the birth of her second daughter about six years ago, Aye Po noticed that she had a small mass about the size of a walnut on the right side of her neck as well as breathing difficulties. She would use an herbal nose inhaler and take a pain medication when breathing became difficult but she never sought treatment." Recently, the mass has grown in size. "While she is not having any trouble eating or sleeping, she says that in the last few years her neck has become stiff and at times uncomfortable," BBP says. $1,500 will fund Aye Po's much needed surgery to remove the tumor, as well as transportation to and from the hospital and outpatient visits before surgery. Following treatment, Aye Po hopes to relocate her family and to continue to help providing for them. Aye Po says, "I hope I will be able to receive treatment ... I am only worried about providing for my family."

“Sara is a very malnourished little girl from a poor town in Guatemala,” our medical parner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK) tells us. "She is a happy child of two very loving parents. She loves to sit with her mother while she weaves blouses. Her dad works as a farm hand and is home in the evenings to play with her.” Despite being a generally happy child, Sara has been dealing with health complications since she birth. Sara was born with an imperforate anus, meaning that her colon and anus were not properly connected. Her family has been waiting for a year for surgery to repair the problem. “However, now Sara is suffering from acute malnutrition and is losing weight because her family is poor and cannot afford more than beans and a corn drink,” WK tells us. “She has been suffering from frequent diarrhea and if she keeps loosing weight she will not qualify for surgery, and will lose her long awaited surgery date.” Sara needs to be strong for the surgery to correct her imperforate anus. She also needs to have good nutritional health to have good health prospects in the long-term. Without addressing her malnutrition, Sara will not only lose her surgery but will suffer serious consequences of malnutrition. She will suffer low energy, weak immune system, chronic illness, and have a high risk of infection. Each of these factors will impair her ability to reach her physical and mental potential, making it difficult for her to succeed in school. With $535, Sara will be seen by doctors and nutritionists to address her malnutrition. They will provide treatment including nutritional support, growth monitoring, and medication to help her recover her health. “This treatment will give Sara a chance to recoup her weight and height, gain the nutrients she needs to grow normally, and strengthen her immune system,” reports WK. “Her energy will increase, and she will have the capacity to learn more effectively from her surroundings.” This funding will also serve to provide Sara’s parents with nutritional education to give them the tools to support their family’s long-term nutritional health within their budget. Her mother is committed to seeing Sara get healthy. “I will do what it takes to make her well,” she shares. Let’s support Sara and her mother in getting Sara’s health back on track.

Tha Moe is a one-year-old baby boy in Burma who lives with his parents and six-year-old sister. He was born at home as a seemingly healthy baby, but his mother noticed a growing small mass near the base of his spine. A couple days after Tha Moe was born, his mother took him to the local clinic. Doctors diagnosed him with a meningocele, a birth defect where the spinal cord doesn’t develop properly. Our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP) shares, “Tha Moe feeds well but because of the mass he is unable to lie down on his back and he can only sleep on one side. He can sit and he knows the sensations of his upper body but his mother says he cannot feel his right leg.” Because of the time his mother has to spend caring for Tha Moe at the clinic, she finds it difficult to do household chores and relies on Tha Moe’s grandmother to take care of his sister when she is not in school. Tha Moe’s father finds sporadic work as a day laborer, and the family can’t afford to pay the medical expenses for his operation. $1,500 will fund the procedure to repair Tha Moe’s meningocele. “It is hoped that following the meningocele repair that Tha Moe will grow and thrive," BBP adds. "His parents will be able to stop worrying about his condition.”

Meet Pang, a 13-year-old boy from Burma who has a cleft lip. “Pang feels very embarrassed about his face so he doesn’t like to leave the house and avoids crowds, even during festivals which he knows he will enjoy. He also said the other children make fun of him and people constantly stare,” reports our medical partner, Burma Border Projects. Pang resides in rural Burma with his parents. “His parents own their own farm and plant rice in the rainy season. Outside the rainy season, they do not work regularly and instead grow vegetables and raise chickens for the family’s consumption,” continues Burma Border Projects. The family also lives far from the nearest city and the family doesn’t have enough money to pay for transportation costs or school fees, preventing Pang from schooling. For $1320, we can repair Pang’s cleft lip and improve his appearance. The surgery will raise his self-esteem and improve his breathing, speech, and language development.

Nine-year-old Soe likes to ride his bike and play with other kids in his town in Burma. Unfortunately, he’s broken his leg three times over the course of his adventures, and the most recent break has caused severe damage to his bone. When Soe had his second leg break, he missed his final exams, and ended up having to repeat first grade. “We are worried that if he works in a laborious job in the future, he might be injured again,” his parents said. They are concerned and want to provide Soe proper treatment, but as rice farmers, Soe's mom and dad are barely able to meet the family's basic needs. Covering Soe's medical care is well out of reach for the family. But with $1,500, we can help pay for the corrective surgery Soe needs to fix his leg. This surgery will help him walk without crutches and return to school with his siblings next semester. Once he’s healed, he won’t need to worry about breaking his leg again, and will be able to play with his friends. Let’s make it happen!

Meet Mukesh, a lively six-year-old from Nepal. He lives with his parents, brother, and sister in Nepal. His favorite subject in school is his Nepalese language class. After class, Mukesh enjoys playing Kabaddi, a local contact sport, with his schoolmates. Our medical partner, Possible, tells us that, “Mukesh was coming down a wooden ladder at his home when he slipped and injured his arm. Since then he has not been able to move his hand properly. It is extremely painful when he accidentally moves his arm or if his hand hits something. He can not even sleep at night because of this.” With $205, Possible will be able to provide treatment for Mukesh’s fractured ulna. With this care, Possible writes, “He will be able to move his arm and hand without pain. He will be able to go back to the school and he will be able to play with his friends.” Let’s pitch in and get this active kid going again!

Say hello to Solina, a one-year-old from Haiti! Solina has hydrocephalus, a condition in which fluid accumulates in her skull. As a result, she has been experiencing coughs, fevers, vomiting, and seizures. Solina's mom is a small merchant who also works as a laborer to make ends meet. As we would imagine, her daughter's condition leaves her distraught. She knows the condition is treatable but cannot afford it. For $1,260, a surgical procedure can be performed that will drain the excess fluids in Solina's skull and will get rid of all the related symptoms. Solina's mom is deeply grateful for the care Solina has already received. She says, "I thank the nurses and doctors who are taking care of my baby because I couldn’t afford the care. When I was told they had to do a CT scan I cried because I couldn't afford it, but they did it anyway. After the treatment I am looking forward to continuing my business." We've come this far, let's go all the way and get Solina the complete treatment she needs!

Esther is a seven-month-old from Haiti who lives with hydrocephalus, a life-threatening condition where fluid accumulates in her skull. She needs surgery to drain the fluid, get her out of harm's way, and allow her family to resume its normal routine. Esther's mother loves her, but she is worried about her ability to care for her. "I face a lot of problems with my child because she cries a lot and often," she says. "I cannot leave her, even for a moment, to do my daily tasks - to cook, do the washing or go out to do other activities." For only $1,260, we can fund a surgery to drain the fluid from Esther's brain and potentially save her life. Let's help get her healthy!