An is a 65-year-old grandmother from Prey Veng province. She is widowed and lives with her youngest daughter. Her daughter works in a nearby garment factory to help support An and her three children. An occasionally works at a roadside stall selling fresh fruit and packaged snacks. She enjoys listening to the monks pray on the local radio station and spending time with her grandchildren. About one year ago, An developed a cataract in her left eye, which caused her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she is not able to go places on her own. When An learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On November 5th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. An can contribute $25 to her care but needs your help to raise $228 more to fund the procedure. An shared, "My husband died 16 years ago and I am trying to help my family keep going. If I can improve my vision, I can work more and help more around the house and with the shopping in the market."

Meet Grace! She is a 46-year-old rice and maize farmer who lives in Malawi. Grace is a widow with five children. Two of her children are married, while the youngest is still in school. The other two children left school due to a lack of the necessary fees, and are now fishermen. For five months now, Grace has been experiencing abdominal pains, backache, and an abnormal vaginal discharge. She first went for her cervical screening, which indicated the presence of suspicious lesions. Grace was referred for additional testing and evaluation, and a biopsy confirmed the presence of potentially cancerous lesions. Grace will need to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, as a result of her diagnosis. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,363 to fund Grace's surgery. On September 28th, doctors will perform the hysterectomy, which should allow Grace to resume her life, free of pain. Grace said: ”I am grateful for the opportunity to have good health. I am looking forward to your support, and to regaining my health again, which will enable me to concentrate on my farm work, and to continue supporting my children.”

Reuben is a charming five-year-old boy from Karatu district in Tanzania, the third child born in a family of four children. He is a cheerful and active child, who particularly enjoys soccer. His family relies on farming for both sustenance and income, but the proceeds are often barely enough to meet the family's needs. Consequently, they struggle to meet medical expenses and are earnestly seeking assistance. Reuben was diagnosed with bilateral genu varus, a condition where legs curve outward at the knees while the feet and ankles touch. His legs began to bow out at the age of two, and as he continued to grow, this condition worsened, making it challenging for him to walk long distances. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, his walking became energy-intensive, and he developed an uncomfortable gait. Recently, these mobility issues have significantly impacted his participation in beloved activities like playing soccer. Concerned about the potential hindrance this untreated condition may pose when Reuben begins school, especially due to the pain he experiences while walking and the distance of the school from home, his parents sought treatment at a local hospital. However, they were compelled to halt the treatment due to the high treatment costs. Their knowledge of our medical partner's care center, Kafika House, stemmed from a doctor who attended to Reuben two years ago. Consequently, they have embarked on a quest for his medical treatment again. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Reuben receive treatment. On May 7th, surgeons will perform a reconstructive surgery that will restore Reuben's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Now, Reuben's family needs help to fund this $880 procedure. Ruben’s father says: “I hope my son will get treatment to correct his legs so that it is easy for him when he starts school.”

Peter is a student from Kenya who just completed secondary school. He is the third born in his family of seven children. Peter's father passed away, making his mother and older brother the primary providers for his family. His mother works as a small-scale farmer, while his brother works as a truck conductor. In his free time, Peter likes playing football with his friends. In early May, Peter slipped and fell on his left leg. His older brother brought him to the hospital, where Peter received an X-ray revealing a fractured tibia. He needs to undergo surgery to relieve his pain and ensure his leg heals properly to prevent future complications. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On May 15th, Peter will undergo a fracture repair procedure called an open reduction and internal fixation. Upon recovery, he will be able to walk with ease. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $1,049 to fund this procedure. Peter said: "I am just starting my adult life and have high hopes for how I wish it would be. I request your help so that my leg can be well again."

Alvin is a 1-year-old boy and the firstborn child of his mother and father. Both of Alvin's parents are still relatively young themselves and are reliant on the support of the boy's grandparents. Their family tries to engage in day-to-day jobs to earn income for themselves. Together they reside in a modest village named Mamire. Alvin's mother primarily takes care of him while depending on sporadic day jobs for financial support. Regrettably, the earnings fall short of providing for both the mother and child, prompting the grandfather to assist them when needed. Alvin has clubfoot of his left foot, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes as he grows. They have never sought treatment for Alvin's condition due to financial barriers. However, their situation changed when they attended one of our medical partner's outreach visits. This visit directed them to a partner centre, offering a ray of hope for Alvin's health. Alvin's parents are now seeking assistance to cover the costs of their son's treatment. Fortunately, Alvin and his family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, The Plaster House NGO. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on August 11th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $935 to fund Alvin's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily and grow up to lead a high quality life without disability. Alvin’s grandfather says: “We wish for Alvin to experience well-being and not to bear the burden of constant worry about his future due to his untreated condition.”

Alex is a 50-year-old father from Uganda. He and his wife have 3 children, all of whom are married and self-employed. His wife engages in small-scale farming, primarily producing food for the family's consumption with a small surplus for sale, and Alex manages a small retail shop to support his livelihood and the entire family. For 5 years, Alex has had reducible right inguinal (groin area) hernia and right inguinal swelling. He states that it comes and goes over time and hinders his ability to walk. This has had a negative impact on his work performance in his business and has consequently resulted in a lower quality of life. If left untreated, these symptoms could persist and eventually lead to strangulation. Alex underwent a surgical procedure on the left side of his inguinal region six years ago. Unfortunately, he has now developed a similar condition on the right side. Fortunately, our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) can help. Alex is scheduled to undergo a hernia repair surgery at AMH's care center on August 8th. AMH is requesting $230 to fund the surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Alex says, “I cannot afford this surgery but if I get your support, I will have a restored and improved health thus able to continue with my business for a living.”

Samson is an eight-year-old boy from Mpanda, Tanzania. He is the third born in a family of six children. His father diligently tends to a small farm that supplies their food, while the mother undertakes various daily jobs to contribute to the household income and assist with household tasks. Nevertheless, these endeavors present difficulties in fully meeting the family's needs. Samson currently needs medical intervention due to a condition he has been experiencing that limits his mobility. At the age when he began walking, signs of bowed legs started to appear. Unfortunately, as he grew older, the condition worsened, causing concerns for his parents regarding his future. During one of our medical partner's outreach visits to Samson's village, we had the opportunity to inform his parents about a potential surgical treatment for their son's condition. They were overjoyed to learn there may be help for their son. Upon arrival at our medical partner's care center, Samson and his guardian were warmly welcomed by their team. After a brief intake procedure, he was sent for an assessment. Our medical partner's team subsequently diagnosed him with a left genu varus, which will require surgical treatment to correct his left leg and alleviate the discomfort he is currently facing. Samson's condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, often from contaminated drinking water. This condition has also posed difficulties for Samson in terms of starting and attending school, as the school is located approximately four kilometers away from their home. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Samson. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 6th. Treatment will restore Samson's mobility, allow him to participate in school and various activities, and significantly decrease his risk of future complications. Samon's guardian says, "We wish that his condition gets better. We are praying for a better outcome from the treatment."

Gift is a 5-year-old playful boy from the coastal region of Kenya. He is the youngest of three children, and they all live with their mother. Gift's mother is a casual labourer, often vending sweet potatoes, arrow roots and vegetables to earn a living for her children. Gift desires to be a doctor, and his mother says he loves reading. Gift sustained a fracture on his left humerus (upper arm) and was taken to a nearby hospital, where a cast was applied. However, the factured arm did not heal properly. Doctors determined that Gift needs a left derotational surgery osteotomy to heal his fracture, meaning that doctors will cut the bone and realign it properly. The corrective surgery will allow Gift to use his arm with ease, continue playing with other children, and grow up active and healthy. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) will perform this surgery on July 17th and is requesting $1,224 to fully fund the procedure. Gift’s mother shared, “I am looking forward to seeing him progress with life like other children.”

Todolem is a 73-year-old pastoralist - he breeds and takes care of a herd of cows, in order to support his large family. As they live in a semi-arid region of the country, which has been experiencing a shortage of rain, the family moves around a lot in search of water and pasture land for the animals. Todolem injured his arm three months ago when he fell while herding his cattle. He shared that he thought it was not a serious injury, so he went to an herbalist near his home, where he was given some medication. The injury did not improve, and while visiting a neighbor who had recently broken his leg, Todolem learned about our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare. Fortunately, surgeons at AIC Kapsowar Hospital can help. After being examined at the hospital, Todolem was scheduled to undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation, on May 16th. The surgery will enable Todolem to work again. Now, African Mission Healthcare is requesting $1,145 to fund this procedure. Todolem says: "My family has suffered since I injured my arm. They have lacked a lot of things, and I feel so bad when I see them suffer in my presence. I am humbly requesting assistance so that I may continue with my role as a family provider."

Six-year-old Tay lives with her mother, sister, and brother in a village in Shan State in Burma. Tay's mother is a teacher. When Tay was three years old, she was frequently ill with a rapid heartbeat and fingertips that would turn blue. Her mother brought her to a nearby hospital, where the doctor told them that Tay had congenital heart disease and would need to be treated in Yangon. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Tay's mother did not feel it was safe to take Tay to Yangon. When she turned five, Tay's symptoms worsened, and her mother brought her to a hospital in Yangon in August 2022. At the hospital, Tay was diagnosed with an atrial septal defect, and her mother was told that Tay would require surgery- which the family could not afford to pay for. Fortunately, Tay's aunt referred her to our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, for help. Now Tay is scheduled to undergo atrial septal defect closure at Pun Hlaing Hospital on May 13th. As Tay is becoming progressively more ill- with episodes of rapid breathing and weight loss due to a lack of appetite- this procedure is critical for her health and well-being. Burma Children Medical Fund is seeking $1,500 to cover the cost of Tay's care. “When I learned that my daughter [Tay] needs surgery, I felt very sad and I cried because I cannot afford to pay for her surgery. But when I learned that the organization [BCMF] will support the cost of my daughter’s surgery, I felt very happy and thankful to all the donors and that organization. I want to see her healthy,” said Tay's mother.

A (Aye) is a 37-year-old homemaker who lives with her husband, father, and son in a village in Thailand. Her father cannot work as a result of having suffered a stroke and her son was born with a disability. A's husband works as an agricultural day laborer. Since April 2022, A has been experiencing back pain and difficulty sleeping. These symptoms are caused by a large mass on her ovary. She has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, which is the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, A's symptoms will continue to intensify, and she will be at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, A is now scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on April 23rd at Mae Sot General Hospital. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once she has recovered, A should be free from pain and able to comfortably sleep through the night. “I really want to be healthy again so that I can take care of my father and son. My husband had to stop working for the past week to look after our son, so now we have no income. But I am happy that I have a donor [to pay for my surgery], and I hope that I will get better soon. After I recover, my husband can go back to work and save money to pay back our debt,” said A.

Peterson is a 24-year-old man from Haiti. He lives with his parents and younger sister in a city on the southern coast of the island. When he feels well enough, he helps his family with their market stand. Peterson has a cardiac condition called atrial septal defect. A hole exists between the two upper chambers of his heart; blood leaks through this hole without passing through his lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving him weak and short of breath. Peterson urgently needs surgery, but this is not available within Haiti. So Peterson will fly to United States to receive treatment. On March 2nd, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will sew a patch over the hole so that blood can no longer leak through it. Another organization, Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital, is contributing $15000 to pay for surgery. Peterson's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep and travel. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Peterson overseas. "I would like to say thank you to everyone who is helping to fix my heart," said Peterson.