“I pray that Ezra will be treated and have a normal life so that when he is old enough, I can go back to school,” shares Ezra’s mother. “I will work hard to give him a brighter future.” Ezra is a two-month-old baby boy from Kenya, and is the only child to his young single mother. Ezra’s mother discontinued school to take care of her son, and lives with her mother in a small rented home where they live off of the yield from a small scale maize farm. “Ezra was born with a leaking cystic mass on his lower back,” explain our partners at African Mission Healthcare Foundation. “If surgery is not done soon, Ezra is likely to develop a severe infection which could lead to his premature death. He could also develop spinal complications like a tethered cord.” Ezra’s mother brought him over 225 kilometers for specialized treatment. For $805, we can fund spina bifida closure surgery which will prevent the risk of infection and tethered cord. Following surgery, physicians expect Ezra will live a normal and healthy life, and his mother will be able to return to school. Let’s help support Ezra’s mother’s hopes for her child’s wellness and her ability to resume her education and provide for her son!

When Peterson was three months old, he began showing symptoms of hydrocephalus. He has excess fluid in his brain, which makes his head swollen and places excess pressure on his nerves and the blood vessels in his brain. Peterson now has seizures that keep him from easily moving his hands. This six-month-old little boy hails from the countryside of Haiti. His mother looks after him and his siblings while also attending school. She cannot afford the $1,260 procedure that could save her son's life. With our support, Peterson will receive surgery to drain the excess fluid from his brain. His seizures will occur less frequently, or stop altogether. Doctors expect that his head and face will return to a normal state. Let’s help Peterson live a healthier life!

Gadissa is an adorable ten-month-old boy from Ethiopia. He was born with hypospadias, a condition which makes it difficult for Gadissa to urinate normally and may impact fertility as he gets older. Gadissa's parents want their son to grow up healthy, but they could not even afford the cost of the trip to the hospital. Fortunately, another charitable organization heard about his condition and brought Gadissa to the hospital to get treated, over 300 miles from his home. For $1,200, we can fund Gadissa’s corrective surgery so he can pass urine normally and grow up with a healthy reproductive system.

At just one month old, Angel is fighting for her life. She was born with hydrocephalus, a condition in which spinal fluid builds up in the skull and puts potentially fatal pressure on the brain. She needs a $1,750 surgery to give her a chance at a healthy future. Angel's mother is doing her best to care for her four children, but she is at a loss for how to handle this situation. Angel is unable to close her eyes properly or hold her head up on her own. The team at our medical partner in Zambia writes, "Angel's life will be saved with this procedure. She'll have the chance to develop normally, and as her head decreases in size, she'll be able to become more and more independent, holding her head up on her own and eventually being able to stand and walk."

Pauline is going to give birth to her first child soon and our medical partner in Kenya, Lwala Community Alliance, needs our help to pay for her safe delivery. Pauline and her husband are both farmers who grow maize, beans, and sugarcane to support themselves. Pauline has been taking classes at Lwala to learn about pregnancy's "danger signs and also how to prevent disease caused by germs.” For $215, we can fund the last and most critical part of Pauline’s medical bill so she gets off to a healthy start with her child!

Acene is a 21-year-old guy whose determination to succeed in life may be sidetracked by a medical issue beyond his control. Acene has a hernia that, if left untreated, could strangulate and turn into a "life-threatening and incredibly painful medical issue," according to doctors at Living Hope Haiti. They say he, "needs to get it taken care of to live a healthy and prosperous life." Acene is a student in the 10th grade. His doctors point out, "Although a 21-year-old 10th grader in the US is not common, it shows that he had the good sense to return to the classroom after a couple of years off. Absences like this are usually caused by financial difficulties in the family, as high school in Haiti is not free." Unfortunately, medical care in Haiti is not free either. Acene's family cannot afford the $400 surgery he needs to ensure his hernia doesn't turn into a fatal medical problem. We hope to help Acene have surgery so he can finish school and live up to his potential.