Meet Daudi! Daudi is a three-year-old boy from Tanzania. "He is the fifth and last born in the family," our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), reports. Always curious, Daudi likes to observe and play with other children. He's very quick to pick up the activities that he see's the other children participating in, and tries to do the same. Daudi has lived with an enlarged adenoid since birth, making it hard for him to breathe, especially through his nose. The adenoid is a patch of tissue at the back of the nasal passage that catches bacteria and germs trying to enter the body. "He breathes with so much difficulty, especially at night," AMHF tells us. "it sounds as though Daudi is snoring, even when he is not asleep." Coming from a large family, there are not enough resources to pay for Daudi's operation. His mother stays at home with him and his siblings while his father cares for livestock. $488 will cover the cost of treatment for Daudi, his three day hospital stay, and the necessary antibiotics. In the operation, his enlarged adenoid will be removed through his mouth. After the operation, Daudi will be able to breathe through his nose and sleep throughout the night. "If my son could become a doctor, I will be so happy," Daudi's mother shares. "For now, I wish he could breathe without difficulty."

Thaw is an 18-year-old student from Burma. Thaw is in the 11th grade and hopes to one day become a building engineer. His favorite pastime is playing football. "In November 2010, Thaw and his mother noticed signs that he was not healthy," shares our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). His symptoms, often exacerbated by playing football, included shortness of breath and tiredness on exertion. After being diagnosed with a heart condition by a local clinic, he and his mother traveled to a specialist who told Thaw that he would require cardiac surgery for his condition. BBP tells us, "Thaw is suffering from lethargy, back pain, abdominal and chest pain, and sometimes has difficulty breathing. Sometimes when he is unwell with fever, his lips and fingertips turn a little blue." Due to Thaw's condition, he is no longer able to go to school. Thaw lives in Burma with his mother, aunt, and grandfather. Their combined income is just enough to cover the cost of food. $1,500 will cover the cost of complex cardiac surgery for Thaw's congenital heart valve defects. Burma Children Medical Fund has contributed $13,525 towards his treatment cost. "I hope I can get help with my problems so I can continue my studies in the future," says Thaw.

Meet 52-year-old Fausto from the Philippines. “Fausto is highly committed to church work. He is determined to do it,” reports our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM). “He makes it a point that no time is wasted, and he makes time for his bible studies.” However, Fausto has recently been unable to participate in his church due to severe pain from a nonunion in his left femur. A nonunion of the bone occurs when a fracture fails to heal properly as a result of inadequate stability, blood flow, or both. “Fausto has been complaining about pain in his left leg for about three months now, which has also led to decreased appetite and weight loss,” explains ICM. “This worries him and his family, especially since it has made him unable to do usual daily activities such as walking, altered his self-care, and left his pastoral ministry unattended.” With $1500 in funding, Fausto can receive an operation to surgically implant a leg fixation device in his left femur, stabilizing the nonunion site and allowing it to heal properly. This cost includes a hospital stay, operating room supplies, surgical staff, medications, x-rays, transportation, meals, and a post-operative visit. This treatment will be additionally subsidized by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation. “The treatment will help Fausto restore his well being and allow him to do his daily activities without any difficulty,” continues ICM. “He can get back to work without any physical hindrance once the treatment is done.” Fausto is eager to heal properly and return to his life. He tells us, “We are asking for any help you can extend to us. I am looking forward to being treated so that I can go back to work in my church and serve the people best.”

“Samuel is a humble man of very few words,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. He lives with his relatives and uses the milk from his two cows to earn money. “Samuel started losing vision in his right eye three years ago,” shares Samuel’s doctors. “Since he had no money, he resigned himself to seeing with one eye as he gradually went blind in his right eye. Over the next 6 months, Samuel has started losing sight in his left eye and had to return to the hospital. His doctors informed him that he now has cataracts in both eyes and that if surgery is not done soon on his right eye, he will never be able to use that eye again.” “I am afraid that I will go completely blind if I don’t get treated and I have no one to take care of me at home,” says Samuel. For $230 we can cover the cost of cataract surgery in his right eye, allowing Samuel to regain his eyesight and independence!

Meet Fahari, an adorable one-and-a-half-month-old baby boy from Tanzania. His mother is a homemaker and his father uses his bicycle to transport fellow community members. Fahari has two older sisters. “When he was born, his mother suspected that there was something wrong with her baby,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, says. “Fahari is crying excessively during defecation due to a small anal opening.” This is a symptom of anorectal malformation, and this condition can lead to intestinal obstruction and possible death if not treated correctly. Fahari’s mother shares, “Fahari came by accident and we are grateful because we did not have a baby boy. We badly need him to be well and live a normal life like his sisters and later go on to school and have a career unlike us.” $1500 will give Fahari the opportunity to develop correctly and live a long and happy life. Let’s help him out!

“Hugo is a highly motivated man who dreams of getting back to his old life, being able to work, hang out with his friends and family without stigma or shame, and being able to be independent,” our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq, shares. Hugo, a 45-year-old man from Guatemala, has a bilateral arm amputation. In January, he lost both arms in a severe electrocution accident, which has made him unable to continue working and unable to care for himself. For $1255, Hugo can receive two prosthetic arms so he can regain his independence. He tells us, “this injury was the worst thing that has ever happened to me, but I’m happy to be alive, and I’m excited to have prosthetic arms and get back to work.” Let’s help him out!