Kobugabe is a 26-year-old mother from Uganda who is currently pregnant with her third child. Because of an incompletely healed perineal tear, which occurred during the delivery of her second child, Kobugabe is seeking to deliver her child through a caesarean section to avoid another tear. A perineal tear is a spontaneous laceration of the skin between the vagina and the anus; these tears occur mainly as a result of vaginal childbirth. Kobugabe went back to the hospital for repair after delivering her second child, a big baby. However, “she is pregnant again before she is fully healed from perineal tear repair,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). AMHF tells us that Kobugabe is a housewife and digs to get food for her family. “Her husband owns a small shop where he earns little income, which cannot meet all the needs of his family.” Her husband brought her to the hospital, seeking help from Watsi after hearing about it from a friend. With $270, Kobugabe will deliver her baby safely; the C-Section will ensure that she does not have another perineal tear. “I am going to do my best to make sure I don’t get another pregnancy before I heal,” Kobugabe says of life after her surgery. She wishes to regain enough energy to start working for her children and family.

Grace is a 15-year-old student from Uganda. “Grace still lives at home with her parents and has completed grade six. She is hoping to going back to school after her baby is born. Her favorite subjects are health science and mathematics. She would like to finish secondary school and then go on to train in a health science field, such as nursing or midwifery. When she is not in school, Grace enjoys hair braiding and hair styling,” explains our medical partner, the Kellermann Foundation. Grace is carrying a large baby and she needs a caesarean section in order to ensure a safe delivery and avoid complications such as a fistula (an abnormal connection between organs, in this case the vagina and rectum). $303 will fund not only Grace’s C-Section, but also her antenatal care, anesthesia, an ultrasound, and a five-day hospital stay. Grace is subsidizing the treatment with $8 of her own funds, but, as a single mother, she needs additional financial support to make this operation possible. Let’s help Grace ensure a safe birth!

“Gloria’s condition is causing her a lot of discomfort and stigma in our village. I pray that she will find treatment as soon as possible,” Gloria’s aunt tells us. Gloria is a two-year-old from Kenya. She has been diagnosed with anorectal malformation, meaning that she is unable to pass stool normally. According to our medical partner, the African Mission Healthcare Foundation, “Gloria has frequent constipation coupled with discomfort, due to abdominal distention.” Gloria’s mother died last year and her father cannot afford the 3-stage surgery necessary to fix Gloria’s condition. If left untreated, she is at risk for infection and possible perforation of the bowel. For $1,500, we can provide the support that Gloria needs. Let’s work together and allow Gloria to grow up normally and go through life with confidence!

Say hello to nine-year-old Meyli, a 4th grade student from Cambodia! Meyli especially enjoys studying English as well as playing games on her phone when she’s not in school. "When Meyli was one-year-old she had a bad fever, and her eye got fixed in a bad position,” shares our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). Now, Meyli has strabismus, a condition that makes her cross her eyes. CSC explains further: “Her vision is very blurry and it causes her to be shy." For $290, Meyli can have surgery to correct her crossed eyes, restoring her vision and giving her the self-confidence to succeed in school! Let's give Meyli access to the medical treatment she needs.

"John is a friendly eight-year-old-boy," AMHF tells us about this only child to his parents from Tanzania. "Despite the condition of his hands, John is very active. He likes to play soccer and running." Recently John unknowingly put his hands in boiling hot water which left him with severe burns on both of his hands. "He cannot hold things by using his left hand and it’s even difficult to hold a pencil with his right hand," AMHF writes. Clinicians have recommended a skin graft and contracture release for John right now. While both of his parents work hard to keep their family running, the cost of this treatment, $870, is not something they can cover on their own. “I wish I could use both of my hands," says John. "Sometimes people stare at me and pass comments which make me uncomfortable, but I keep going to school and I hope to become a doctor when I grow up." With spirit like that, John is sure to go far. Let's help him get over this hurdle with ease by funding the care he needs right now.