Thorn is a 46-year-old mother who lives with her husband and her three children. Her oldest daughter is 22 and studies at a university, her second daughter is 18 and is in secondary school, and her youngest daughter is three and does not yet attend school. She and her husband are both rice farmers in Takeo province. Her free time is taken up by cooking for her family and cleaning the house. A month ago, on the way back from the market, she was in a motorbike collision and fractured her right tibial plateau. This is an injury in which she broke her bone and injured the cartilage that covers the top end of the bottom part of her knee. She went to a local hospital where they took and X-ray but did not treat her because she had no money to pay. She is in constant pain and cannot walk. She cannot care for her children, and cannot help her husband in the rice field Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On December 14th, Thorn will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $483. This procedure will help her walk again without pain. Thorn said: "I hope after the operation I can ride my motorbike again, have no more pain, and can take care of my family."

Janeth is a two-year-old girl and the youngest in a family of two children. Her father is a small-scale farmer, while her mother has a few cattle whose milk she sells to buy food and other commodities. They also harvest and sell some of their crops to earn money. They are living in a harsh environment, but they try to manage on a day-to-day basis. Janeth was involved in an accident last year where she sustained severe burns. Her mother had made porridge for breakfast. She took the pot off the fire and placed it at a corner to cool down so that she could feed Janeth. As she went out to clean the plates Janeth took a cup and tried to take porridge by herself from the pot. She dipped her hand in the pot of hot porridge and while pulling her hand out, some of the porridge spilled on her left foot. Her mother ran inside when she heard Janeth crying, but she had already been badly burned. Her mother gave her first aid and rushed her to the nearest clinic where she got treatment that helped with the open wounds. The wounds have healed, but left her with scars that make her left-hand fingers hard to use, and the toe on her left food was disfigured. A relative who saw Janeth advised her mother to seek treatment at our medical partner's care center ALMC (The Plaster House). Janeth was diagnosed with burn scar contracture on her left hand and left foot. Her hand needs a release surgery with skin grafting because her fingers are webbed, and the fifth toe of her left foot needs to be amputated because it causes pain when she tries to wear shoes. Her mother cannot afford the $1,088 cost of treatment and is asking for help. Janeth’s mother says, "I had to convince my husband to let me come and seek treatment for our daughter. I am not at peace every time I think of her.”

Puthnea is a hardworking 17-year-old from Cambodia who works for a private construction company in a province outside of Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital city. He has two younger sisters, both of whom are currently in school. His parents are rice and vegetable farmers. On March 24th, Puthnea was in a motorcycle accident that fractured his left tibia. His family took him to a government hospital where he stayed for 19 days and doctors fixated external hardware in attempts to heal the fracture. However, his wound became infected, and he is now experiencing pain, discharge, and knee stiffness. When Puthnea learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On August 11th, surgeons at CSC will perform a skin flap procedure to treat the infected wound and heal his leg. Now, he needs help to fund this $673 procedure. Puthnea says, "I hope I can walk again after this surgery."

Purity is an adorable seven-month-old baby who was born with spina bifida. She is the youngest of two children in her family. Her parents previously relied on casual labor to support their family, meaning they would pick up work wherever and whenever it was available. However, with jobs currently being so hard to find, they now do small-scale farming to provide for their family. Since she was born, Purity has had a swelling on her lower back. A few days after birth, her parents took her to a nearby facility, where she was examined three times without receiving any help. During the fourth visit, she was referred to another facility in the bigger city of Nakuru. There, she was diagnosed with spina bifida, a condition caused by the spine not properly closing around the spinal cord. After receiving a diagnosis, Purity was referred to our medical partner's care center, BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital (BKKH), for treatment. Last week, Purity's family was finally able to gather enough money to bring her to BKKH for an evaluation. However, due to financial constraints, her family is unable to fund the procedure needed to help her condition. Without treatment, Purity is at risk of lower-limb paralysis, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, development of tethered cord syndrome, and possible developmental delays. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is able to help. Purity is scheduled to undergo spina bifida closure surgery on July 7th. Now, AMH is requesting $1,151 to cover the cost of Purity's spinal surgery. This procedure will hopefully spare Purity from the risks associated with her condition, instead allowing her to grow and develop along a healthy trajectory. Purity’s mother says, “I’m not happy to see my child with this condition. I would really like her to be treated and have a normal life.”

Mercy is a hard working 46-year-old mom who lives with her two grown children. Because she is long separated from her husband, Mercy has taken care of their children by herself, doing whatever work she can find to support her family. Currently, her daughter is unemployed, while her son works doing jobs for a small hotel in their village. In May, Mercy was injured by a neighbor after a disagreement. She sustained an open fracture of her tibia/fibula, resulting in pain and difficulty walking. Mercy requires surgery to heal the fracture, to prevent an infection of the bone in her leg, and to avert other complications which might cause her to lose the use of her leg. Fortunately Mercy went to Nazareth Hospital, where a surgeon reviewed her case, and advised her to have surgery. However, Mercy and her children cannot raise the required fee for her medical care. Surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, can help. On May 26th, Mercy will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation, at Nazareth Hospital. After treatment, Mercy will be able to walk and to work again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare is requesting $1,049 to fund this procedure. Mercy said: “I use my legs and my strength to work and make ends meet. My leg is very important for me. I am pleading for assistance so that I may have surgery and be well again so that I can resume my work to support my family.”

Vicheth is a 40-year-old man who works along side his wife as tailors. Together they have one daughter. Vicheth enjoys listening to music while he works and spending time at home with his family. About twenty years ago, Vicheth had a severe ear infection that caused the tympanic membrane, or the eardrum, in his right ear to perforate. As a result, Vicheth still experiences ear discharge and tinnitus. He has tried different medicines but none have alleviated his pain or symptoms. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), is helping Vicheth receive treatment. On May 4th, he will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in his right ear, during which surgeons will close the perforation. CSC is requesting $487 to fund this procedure, which covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Vicheth's family was able to gather $100 to contribute to his medical care. Vicheth says, "I hope my ear heals quickly and I am able to hear well and not have any more discharge."

Deborah's baby is a newborn - only a few days old. Deborah and her husband have two more children. Deoborah's husband is the breadwinner of the family, working as a small business operator while Deborah is a stay-at-home parent for their family. Her husband's income provides for their basic needs and school fees. Deborah's baby was born with clubfoot of his right leg. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. His parents are greatly concerned about their baby’s condition. They are worried, but also holding hope that their newborn baby will be ok. Fortunately, the parents brought their newborn to our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on September 6th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is raising $935 to fund the baby's clubfoot repair. After treatment, his leg will be aligned correctly and he will be able to walk easily as he grows. His father shared, “It has been so hard living in doubt for the past three days. I'm grateful my baby will now get help."

Gladys is a strong, hardworking mother from Kenya who is raising her five children on her own. Her oldest child is 14 years old, while her youngest is only three. To support her family, she works as a casual laborer plucking tea. She currently lives in a single-room rental house, which costs Ksh.1200 (~10 USD) per month. Gladys shares that her income is inconsistent and not enough to cover her needed medical treatment. She also does not have active medical coverage and currently has a large accrued bill due to her recent hospital admission. Recently, Gladys was involved in a road traffic accident that caused several fractures. One of the fractures she sustained in this accident was of her left tibia. As a result of this injury, she is currently unable to walk. In order to properly heal her fracture, she must undergo an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) procedure. She also has facial fractures, which will require another ORIF later the same week. However, undergoing an ORIF for her fractured tibia is the current priority. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On August 8th, Gladys will undergo fracture repair surgery so she can walk easily again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Gladys says, “I cannot walk and my face is in pain. I am the only breadwinner of the family, and I cannot work if my leg is broken. All my five children depend on me for upkeep and survival. I need this treatment to get back on my feet.”

Nchambi is a bright and creative 8-year-old student. She is the fifth born in a family of seven children from her mother. She is currently in class six, but she unfortunately had to stop her studies to seek treatment for her condition. Some of her favorite subjects in school are arts and crafts, social studies, and mathematics. Nchambi was diagnosed with left genu varus, meaning her left leg is bent at the knee, making it difficult to walk. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, she struggles with walking to school and carrying out her daily life activities, such as helping her mother with small home chores like cleaning cloths, washing plates, and sweeping. They shared that fetching water is now something she cannot do at all due to her leg condition. Recently, every morning before school, Nchambi has had to wake up extra early to prepare because it takes her a long time to make the one-kilometer walk to her school. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Nchambi. The procedure is scheduled to take place on July 5th. Treatment will hopefully restore Nchambi's mobility, allowing her to participate in a variety of activities and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Nchambi shares, “I can’t catch up with my friends when walking to school because I am slow. I can’t walk as fast as them because of my leg.”

Kai is an adorable baby boy from the Philippines who loves to listen to nursery rhymes. Kai's mother is a stay-at-home mom, while his father works as a construction worker. Kai's father's income helps to meet their day-to-day basic needs. Kai was born with a birth condition that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo surgery to help him heal on May 4th. Our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, is requesting $1,279 to help cover the total cost of Kai's procedure and care. After his recovery, Kai will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing severe health complications in the future. Kai's mother shared, "This surgery is a big help for our family. The bigger portion of my husband's income goes to Kai's colostomy supplies. Now, we do not have to worry about it anymore. Thank you so much, World Surgical Foundation Philippines and Watsi for helping us."