Simwenda is a three-year-old boy from Tanzania. He resides in a village in the Mpanda district. His parents, hardworking farmers, work daily to provide for their family’s subsistence needs. Simwenda was born with a clubfoot - a birth abnormality in which the foot is twisted out of shape or position. The tissues connecting the muscles to the bone (tendons) are shorter than usual, causing the foot to twist and making walking and wearing shoes difficult. Simwenda’s parents, with limited resources and no access to medical insurance, could only watch their son’s condition worsen for three years. It broke their hearts to see him suffer. The nearest hospital could not provide the treatment he needed. Simwenda’s parents shared their son’s story with their community, hoping for help and learned that services would be available at the Plaster House, a care center of our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). However, Simwenda's parents encountered a significant obstacle in obtaining care: transportation costs. Their village is hundreds of miles from Arusha, where the medical care center is located. Simwenda’s family organized a fundraising event to raise money for the transportation and additional expenses of the journey. Upon Simwenda’s arrival at the center, he received a warm welcome. The medical team will begin clubfoot treatment on September 15. AMH is requesting $935 to fund Simwenda's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk with less struggle. Simwende’s mother says: “Despite our financial situations, we have tried so hard to get him treatment. I hope this time around our son has a chance to get treatment.”

Linn's Baby is a four-day-old girl who lives with her parents and three older sisters in a village in Thailand. She is so young, that she is not yet named. Her parents are day laborers. Linn's Baby was born with multiple health challenges including Down syndrome and congenital heart disease. In addition, her mother noticed that she wasn't passing stool, and when the doctors examined her, they discovered that she also has a condition known as imperforate anus. What this means is that Linn's Baby was born without an opening, which is a birth condition that occurs while the fetus is still developing in the womb. To address her condition, Linn's Baby will undergo surgery on August 4th at Mae Sot General Hospital, to place a colostomy, that will allow her to pass stool until she grows bigger and stronger, and better able to tolerate additional surgeries. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is seeking $1,500 to cover the costs of this procedure. Her mother said: "I cannot watch my daughter suffer from these conditions. I think she is crying because she wants breastmilk. She is my first baby born with such conditions. My other daughters are all healthy. I feel very sad for her.”

Regina is a 42-year-old mother of four from Burma. She is a hardworking homemaker. During her free time, she enjoys walking around the neighborhood. Regina has been diagnosed with a gallbladder condition, resulting back and abdominal pain, yellowing of her skin, and other worrisome symptoms. The medications the doctors have provided her have not worked. If left untreated, Regina's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. She has therefore been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Regina is scheduled to undergo her cholecystectomy on May 22nd. BCMF is requesting $1,487 to cover the total cost of Regina's procedure and care. Regina said “I am glad to receive help from BCMF for my operation. I am also very thankful to you for helping patients who can't afford surgery. I hope my operation goes well.”

Mohamed is a happy, outgoing, and playful 5-year-old from Kenya. He has one younger sibling. Mohamed's father works as a vegetable vendor, and his mother stays home to care for the family. When Mohamed was about three years old, his parents noticed a bend on his left foot which continued to increase over time. He has been undergoing physiotherapy but experiences pain and difficulty walking long distances. Mohamed was diagnosed with clubfoot of his left foot, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. His family traveled to our medical partner's care center, where surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on May 15th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $1,286 to fund this procedure. Upon recovery, this surgery will allow Mohamed to be able to wear shoes and walk pain-free as he begins school soon. Mohamed's father said: "My Joy is to see my son undergo surgery and walk like other children. I will appreciate any kind of support."

Paw is 52-year-old woman from Thailand. She lives with her husband, two daughters and son-in-law in a refugee camp. She and her husband are homemakers, while her eldest daughter and son-in-law are teachers. Her youngest daughter is a student. She has cataracts and she has blurred vision in both of her eyes. Because of her poor vision, she has difficulty walking around the refugee camp and she has had to stop weaving and selling traditional Karen clothes from her home-region of Burma. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Paw. On December 29th, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Paw's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. "I hope that my treatment will be successful. I want to be able to see well. I want to continue weaving clothes in the future, and I want to live with my family for the rest of my life,” she said.

Vichea is a 37-year-old soft drink seller from Cambodia. He is married and has two daughters and one son. When he is not working, Vichea enjoys playing with his small son and helping his wife at home. When he was six, Vichea had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. Because of this, Vichea experiences hearing loss, discharge, and pain. It is difficult for him to communicate with others, and the pain and discharge disrupts his sleep. The medications to alleviate his symptoms are expensive and have not treated the problem. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), is helping Vichea receive treatment. He traveled to CSC's care center where, on November 16th, he will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in his right ear. During the procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Now, he needs help raising $926 to fund his procedure and care. Vichea shared, "I hope my hearing improves and my ear heals."

Monicah is a shy four year old girl who loves being with her grandmother. She is the first born in a family of two. She hails from a village in Machakos county, Kenya. Monicah was diagnosed to have hemiplegic cerebral palsy, a condition that paralyses one side of the body. She also has clubfoot of her right foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Monicah's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on October 25th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,286 to fund Monicah's clubfoot repair. The surgery will be impactful to her since she will be able to walk without pain and finally she will be able to step on the ground with her right foot. “I am pleading support for my daughter to undergo surgery. I would love to see her stepping on the ground confidently,” Monicah’s mother told us.

Joyce is a 54-year-old wife and mother of three. She is a subsistence farmer who grows crops and raises farm animals mainly for food for their family. She lives in a corrugated iron house with her husband and her youngest son. Her oldest son is currently employed and married, but her middle son lost his job due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She proudly shared that her youngest son just sat for the Malawi School Certificate Examination and he is awaiting the results. Joyce's oldest son helps to pay the school fees for his younger brother because he is the only one currently working in their family. Last year Joyce noticed a lump on her breast. Her sister advised her to go to Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) where she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Surgery was recommended, but the waiting list for an operation has been too long. A KCH doctor advised her to come to Partners In Hope because her condition needs urgent attention. The Partners in Hope surgeon recommended Joyce get a mastectomy. A mastectomy is a surgery to remove all breast tissue from a breast as a way to treat or prevent breast cancer. Due to her financial status, she was referred to our medical partner African Mission Healthcare and has also contributed $19.40 herself to support her treatment. Joyce is fearful of what may come next because she has been reading and has learned of the impact of breast cancer on an individual. Hopefully, having the surgery will erase all these fears and allow Joyce to live her normal life again. Joyce says, “It will be great for me to live a life without a lump on my breast. This thing kills my self-esteem and my hopes to live.”

Alison is a sweet 6-year-old from Bolivia who loves princesses and coloring in coloring books! She lives with her parents in a small town on the border between Bolivia and Argentina. Her father is a minibus taxi driver, and her mother is currently finishing her university studies. Alison also attends school and recently finished first grade. Alison was born with a ventricular septal defect, a cardiac condition in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of the heart. Blood leaks through this hole without first passing through the lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her feeling weak and short of breath. Fortunately, Alison is scheduled to undergo heart surgery on July 26th with the support of our long-standing medical partner Haiti Cardiac Alliance, which is now growing and expanding into Bolivia. Surgeons will close the hole with a patch, allowing blood to properly flow through her body and improving her quality of life. Another organization, Gift of Life International, is contributing $2,500 to pay for a portion of Alison's procedure costs. Our medical partner is requesting $1,500 to cover the remaining costs, which funds surgical expenses, cardiac exams, medications, and travel fees so Alison and her family can travel to receive her life-changing cardiac procedure in La Paz. Alison's mother shares, "Our family is so grateful for this opportunity to save our daughter's life!"

Agnes is a quiet, 49-year-old farmer and mother of six, living in the Rift Valley region in Kenya. Currently, her family lives on a small piece of land that was given to them, after they were displaced from their original home. The family depends on Agnes, as her husband is unable to work. In order to provide for her family, Agnes does casual jobs within the community, and also travels to neighboring villages to do farm work. While carrying a heavy load on one of her jobs, Agnes fell, fracturing a bone in her ankle. She suffers from joint pain and swelling, and is unable to bear weight on her right leg. This injury prevents Agnes from being able to work, which jeopardizes the well being of Agnes and her family, as she is the sole breadwinner for them all. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, can help. On June 28th, Agnes will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation, at AIC Kapsowar Hospital. African Mission Healthcare is requesting $1,145 to fund this procedure, which will enable Agnes to continue to support her family, and to resume her life as it was prior to her injury. Agnes says: "I am living because of my children. They always look up to me for their needs. My hope is to be well again and continue supporting my family.”

Latifa is a beautiful young girl and the second born of three children. She is charming and bright, and joined the first grade earlier this year. Latifa loves to sing the vowels and to color. Latifa's father is a casual laborer working at construction sites while her mother sells deep fried cakes outside their home every morning. Latifa was diagnosed with bilateral genu varus which causes her legs bow outward at the knees. Latifa's mother says she noticed the problem when Latifa was learning 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 walks with a challenging gait and has exhaustion and pain. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Latifa. The procedure is scheduled to take place on May 20th. Treatment will hopefully restore Latifa's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and decrease her risk of future complications. Latifa’s mother shared, “My daughter is struggling to walk, and her legs get worse every day. Please help her.”

Daw Nwe is a 61-year-old woman from Thailand. Originally from Mon State, Burma, she moved in with her sister’s family in Thailand in January 2022, when her vision worsened and she did not have anyone to take care of her at home. In her free time, she enjoys watching videos about Buddhism, reading books about Buddhism and praying. She has cataracts and she can can only perceive darkness and light with her left eye. The vision in her right eye is slightly better as she can still see a bit, but her vision is blurry and she needs help from her family for daily personal activities. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Daw Nwe. On April 25th, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Daw Nwe's natural lenses and replace them with an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Daw Nwe said, “I am very happy when I think about how my vision will be restored. I am thankful to all the donors and the organisation [BCMF] for helping me receive eye surgery.”