Akankunda is a child from Uganda. She is in nursery school and has two siblings. Akankunda’s parents practice small-scale farming. Akankunda has had a swelling on her left leg since birth. She experiences discomfort as the mass keeps increasing in size. Akankunda traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On January 8, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Akankunda needs help to raise $187 to fund this procedure. Her mother says, “I will be very grateful that my daughter will be treated. I will have peace of mind after surgery.”

Mary is a two-week-old infant from Kenya. She is the only child to her 19-year-old mother, who is a high school student. Mary has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Mary has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Mary will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $685 to cover the cost of surgery for Mary that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on December 21 and will drain the excess fluid from Mary's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Mary will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Mary’s mother says, “I wish to see my child treated and lead a normal life."

Loserian is a one-week-old baby from Tanzania. He is the youngest in family of three children. Loserian was born with spina bifida, a type of neural tube defect in which the spine does not properly close around the spinal cord. Without treatment, Loserian is at risk of lower-limb paralysis, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, development of tethered cord syndrome, and possible developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $966 to cover the cost of Loserian's spina bifida closure surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 3. This procedure will hopefully spare Loserian from the risks associated with his condition, instead allowing him to grow and develop along a healthy trajectory. Loserian’s mother says, “Please help our son, we have no money to pay for the needed surgery which he needs urgently."

“Rona’s four elder siblings are always asking where their little sister is,” shares the mother of Rona, a baby girl from Kenya. At only 19 days old, Rona was diagnosed with spina bifida. In this condition, the spine is not fully formed at birth, leaving the spinal cord vulnerable. Fortunately, her family was able to pull their savings together to pay for emergency surgery to remedy this problem in early October of this year. But Rona’s spina bifida also led her to develop hydrocephalus, an excessive build-up of fluid in the cranium. If this disorder is not treated, Rona is at a risk of brain damage, vision loss, and even death. Already struggling after Rona’s father recently lost his main job as a personal driver, her family was barely able to pay for Rona’s first surgery. Now, they need your help raising money for her hydrocephalus procedure on October 26. During this operation, doctors will insert a shunt to reroute fluid to away from her brain and towards another part of her body. When we reach our total fundraising goal of $685, we can pay for Rona’s operation, five-day hospital stay, and lab tests. “I am hoping to take her back home in good health,” says Rona’s mother.