Kategaya is a 28-year-old married father with one son. He works as an artist but also does electronic trading. About eight years, Kategaya noticed a small swelling on his upper abdominal region. The mass has increased in size over the years and has now become so painful that Kategaya is unable to eat or lift heavy items. Kategaya has now been diagnosed with an epigastic hernia (where fat pushes out through a weakness in the abdominal wall between the breastbone and belly button) and has been recommended for a hernia repair surgery. Without surgical intervention, Kategaya is at risk of intestinal blockage and tissue damage. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, has arranged for Kategaya to undergo the $249 surgery on July 19.

Neema is a three-month-old girl from Tanzania. She was born with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain. She underwent a shunt insertion to drain the fluid from her brain. Unfortunately, Neema's shunt has been malfunctioning. On November 15, she underwent a revision surgery to replace the old shunt with a new one. "We really hope that the doctors can help Neema get better," says her mother. Neema is the youngest of six children. Her parents are subsistence farmers. They were referred to our medical partner's care center, The Plaster House, by the parents of another child who also received treatment for hydrocephalus. Neema's parents cannot afford healthcare. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $775 to fund this procedure.

Meet 15-year-old Lah Naw from Burma. Our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), tells us, “Lah Naw lives with her grandmother, father, brother, and sister. Her mother is deceased. Her father supports the entire family by running a snack shop out of their home and makes about 100 USD per month.” Though their father sometimes has to borrow money for school fees, Lah Naw’s father wants both his children to attend school. As BBP explains, “Lah Naw has completed grade 8, but she misses school frequently because of her condition and has not yet been able to start grade 9.” Lah Naw has a sinonasal papilloma, a benign tumor of the nasal cavity. BBP reports, “Lah Naw first noticed her problem two years ago when she started to get nosebleeds and could feel a mass on the inside of her nose. She went to a clinic in Burma and received medicine to ease the bleeding, but the mass has continued to grow since then.” Currently, Lah Naw has frequent and serious nosebleeds. BBP informs us, “She has to say home from school multiple times per month because of the nosebleeds. Lah Naw is scared that if her condition does not improve, she will not be able to return to school.” With $1,500 in funding, Lah Naw will receive surgery to remove the mass in her nasal cavity, putting an end to her nosebleeds. Funding covers the cost of pre-surgery and post-surgery outpatient visits, hospitalization for scans and surgery, transportation, and food allowance. “After surgery, Lah Naw will be able to go back to school and will be relieved of her symptoms,” confirms BBP. Lah Naw is eager to return to her daily life and looks forward to a bright future. She shares, “I want to go back to school, and after I complete grade 12, I want to continue my education further.”