Meet Jane, a loving, 42-year-old mother of four children from Kenya. Jane’s oldest daughter is 25 years old, and her other children are still in school. Her husband works casual, short-term jobs to provide for their family. For the last 17 years, Jane has lived with uterine fibroids, which are noncancerous growths of the uterus. “Jane is experiencing severe bleeding and pain,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. If Jane does not receive treatment soon, she will continue to bleed heavily, which can result in severe anemia. “Jane was booked for a TAH [total abdominal hysterectomy] in a government hospital, but she was informed that she had to wait until October this year,” AMHF explains. “Alarmed by the heavy unusual bleeding she was experiencing, Jane decided to seek help at Nazareth [our partner hospital].” For $790, we can fund Jane’s TAH. Surgery will remove her uterus and cervix, which will eliminate the fibroids and thus prevent future pain and bleeding. “I hope to get well soon so that I can continue taking great care of my family,” Jane tells us.

“We just pray that our daughter will be able to walk so that she can be independent, go to school and pursue her future career. Lord willing later on she will be helpful to us and the society at large,” Karen’s mother says. Meet Karen, a happy and friendly one-year-old baby girl from Tanzania. Karen is very energetic and likes to crawl. She also enjoys listening to music, clapping her hands and swinging her body sideways in delight. But Karen also has bilateral clubfoot, a condition that causes her to use the lateral aspect of her feet when walking. This is painful and ultimately ineffective -- without treatment she'll never walk or run normally, which will affect her ability to attend school. “If not treated, Karen’s gait will be affected and she will most likely develop early osteoarthritis of the feet,” Karen’s doctors at AMHF warn. Karen’s mother sells fruits at a kiosk close near the family's home, and her father is a self-employed constructor. "Karen’s parents both work very hard to earn enough to care for their two children, but they still find the cost of treating Karen’s condition too high for them to afford,” shares our medical partner African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Together we can ensure Karen receives access to the medical care she needs. $1,160 will cover the entire cost of treatment, including x-rays, braces, and surgery. Once treated AMHF says, “Karen will be able to walk on plantigrade; as she continues to grow she will be able to walk to school and pursue her future career.”

Meet Ah Dee. He is a shy five-year old from Burma. Ah Dee has Thalassemia, which is a type of blood disorder. He needs to get blood transfusions twice a month to stay alive. "We have tried our best to get treatment for our son, and if something happens then I won't regret anything because I know that I have tried my best. I will never stop and I will never lose my hope, I will continue to try and get my son treatment and I hope that he will be able to recover from his condition and live a healthy life,” his father told our medical partner, Burma Border Projects. Ah Dee’s day-to-day life is complicated. He is usually playful and has a healthy appetite after a blood transfusion, but soon after, his condition worsens up until his next transfusion. His stomach swells up and presses against his spleen, which causes him great pain and inhibits his appetite. It also forces him to sleep upright. He is confused by his health condition, and doesn’t understand why he needs frequent transfusions. Ah Dee needs to get a splenectomy (spleen removal). It’ll reduce his pain and reduce the frequency of blood transfusions too. It’ll also allow him to have a more stable lifestyle, and hopefully he will be able to go to school. Ah Dee’s parents cannot afford the cost of his surgery. His father works at a car dealership, and earns about $15 a month. His mother is at home full time, and is completely devoted to raising her children and taking care of Ah Dee, as he needs a considerable amount of care and attention given his health condition. Let’s work together to raise the $1,015 needed for Ah Dee’s surgery. It’ll offer relief to an anxious and caring family, and allow a little boy a chance to live a more normal life.