Robert is a 16-year-old teenager who is a sociable and talkative boy with five siblings. Robert enjoys helping his parents with their work. Their family lives a nomadic life, herding his father's cattle. During the dry season, Robert can spend two to three months away from home, walking long distances with his cattle, in search of pastureland and water. However, walking has gotten more difficult for Robert now. He was diagnosed with left genu valgus and right genu varus. His left leg bends inward at the knee, while the right leg bends outward at the knee. This condition is typically caused by excessive fluoride in contaminated drinking water. As a result of his condition, walking is exhausting and painful, and he has stopped taking his father's cattle out to graze. While he is scheduled for surgery to help correct his legs, his parents cannot afford the treatment cost, and are asking for help. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is raising $880 to fund Robert's corrective surgery. It is hoped that this procedure, which is scheduled for May 13th, will restore Robert's mobility, allowing him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decreasing his risk of future complications. Robert says: “Staying at home all day without participating in daily life is very boring and it makes me feel bad, because I cannot work and help.”

Naisam is a 22-month-old baby girl and the youngest in a family of two children. Naisam's mother is single and sells vegetables by the roadside to provide for her children. Naisam has been diagnosed with bilateral genu varus. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. Because of her condition, she experiences difficulty walking. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Naisam receive treatment. On April 8th, Naisam will undergo corrective surgery to treat her condition. Treatment will hopefully restore Naisam's mobility, allowing her to participate in a variety of activities and greatly decreasing her risk of future complications. Now, she and her mother need help raising $880 to fund her procedure and care. Naisam’s mother shared, "I was directed here by a man who saw how much my child was struggling to walk. Please help us."

Dismas is a boda boda taxi driver from Kenya. He is a bright and hardworking young man from a highland region in Elgeyo Marakwet County. Dismas is the third born in a family of four. He studied up to the 7th grade in primary school, but then had to stop attending due to the school fees. Now he lives in a rental house with his wife and their son. His parents live in a place far from him in a semi-arid area, and he moved to look for work and to earn a living. Before his recent accident, Dismas was employed as a motorcycle driver and his limited wages enabled him to sustain his family and give his parents a little support. After a severe road traffic accident about three weeks ago, Dismas was taken to the hospital on a stretcher and is still unable to walk. The bill for his care has been accumulating and he had no funds to pay due to his current state and inability to work. Well-wishers helped him pay the bill and he was discharged home with his fracture stabilized on a splint. One of his brothers reached out to a friend who knew of our medical partner's care center, Kapsowar Hospital, and he was brought in to see if they could help him. An x-ray found that he sustained fractures of the distal tibia and fibula. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On April 26th, Dismas will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. After he heals from this surgery, he will be able to walk easily again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1145 to fund this procedure. Dismas says, "It really hurts when I see my family suffering. I am worried about their future if my condition doesn’t change. Kindly help me get well so that they may not be impacted even more.”

Taw is a 30-year-old woman who lives with her family in a refugee camp in Thailand. Originally from Burma, Taw fled to the refugee camp with her father in 2008 due to a civil war in her village. She used to work as a midwife in the hospital in the refugee camp but became a homemaker after getting married in 2017. Her father is unemployed, while her niece, nephew, and son go to school. Her husband worked as a day laborer outside the refugee camp. However, since COVID-19 cases were detected in the camp and there was an increase in cases in Thailand, schools were closed, and her husband can no longer leave the camp for work. The family shared that they rely on support from a local organization called the Border Consortium, which is not enough for their daily needs, so they must stretch the income until the end of each month. In her free time, Taw loves to play with her son and cook her favorite foods. Taw is expecting her second child soon. Due to her first delivery via Cesarean section and complications during birth, Taw’s doctors recommended that she deliver by a Cesarean section to ensure her and the baby’s safety. On November 15th, Taw will undergo a Cesarean section at our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF). BMCF is requesting $1500 to fund this procedure. Taw shared, “I have one son now, so I would like to have a girl this time. After I have weaned my baby, I want to work as a midwife again at the hospital.”

Margret is a 69-year-old woman - a mother of five children and a grandmother to 13 children. She lives in a thatched house with her family. She and her husband are farmers and rely on seasonal farm products for their income. Due to a recent drought on their land, they do not have any farm products to sell. Margret and her husband are aging and shared that they are limited in how they can care for themselves. They also shared that their children are married but do not have stable jobs yet to help support the family. One week ago, Margret’s poor vision caused her to fall on her walk to the farm. She fell on her left hand and can longer use it or put any weight on it. Her daughter-in-law bought her to the hospital for an X-Ray. After an assessment by the doctor, she was diagnosed with a left distal humerus fracture, and surgery was recommended. Currently, Margret is experiencing pain in her left hand and requires 24-hour care from her daughter-in-law. On October 26th, Margret will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation, with our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). This surgery will alleviate her pain and bring healing and restoration to the functioning of her left hand. She will be able to carry out her day-to-day activities and take care of herself again. AMH is requesting $941 to help fund this procedure. Margret shared, “I am in pain. I hope I get treated soon and be able to use my hand again. Please help me.”

Samiri is a four-year-old boy and the only child of his single mother. His father is married to another woman and has two other children. Samiri's mother provides for their family through her work as a tailor. Samiri has not started school yet, but his mother would like to enroll him in kindergarten next year. Her hope is that Samiri's condition will be treated before he joins school. Samiri has been diagnosed with bilateral Genu Varus, which means that his legs are angled inwards at the knees. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, Samiri has difficulty walking. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Samiri. The procedure is scheduled to take place on September 14th. Treatment will hopefully restore Samiri's mobility, allowing him to participate in a variety of activities and greatly decreasing his risk of future complications. Samiri’s mother shared, "I can never find the money needed to cover my son’s treatment cost. I am struggling to even put food on the table for my son. Please help him."

Musa is a beautiful, 5-month-old baby boy with a twin sister named Neema. His parents are small-scale farmers whose maize and vegetable crops, alongside their few goats, provide food and milk for their families. Musa is experiencing clubfoot in both of his feet, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. As a result, he has difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Musa's mother traveled to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), for her son's treatment. On August 10th, surgeons will perform a clubfoot repair surgery that will allow Musa to walk easily. AMH is requesting $935 to fund this procedure. Musa’s mother says, "I was in shock when I realized my baby had a disability. We are a bit calmer to know his feet can be corrected but the cost is too high for us to afford. We don’t want him to grow up being disabled, please help our son."

Sambon is a 65-year-old proud grandfather. He has been married for 40 years and has two sons, two daughters, and seven grandchildren. Sambon's wife is a cook at a small organization in Phnom Penh. Sambon is retired now, but used to be a government worker building roads. On May 9th, Sambon was burned by hot water on both legs. His family took him to an NGO hospital where the wounds were dressed and treated. Then, they referred him to Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) for further evaluation and treatment. It is difficult for him to bend his legs and he is in pain. On May 17th, surgeons at CSC will perform a debridement procedure to remove the dead skin and apply a skin graft so can regain use of his legs. Now, he needs help to fund this $787 procedure. Sambon shared, "I am so thankful that I can return home soon after I am healed."

Bruce is an 8-year-old boy who lives with his mother and stepfather, and formerly was in his grandmother's care. Bruce’s mother sells baby clothes around the Mwiki area where they live in Kenya. His stepfather is a matatu (public service vehicle) driver who works in vehicles that operate around Thika Road. Bruce has one younger step-sibling. Bruce was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Bruce has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Bruce will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on March 24th. AMH is requesting $561 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Once recovered, he will grow up to be a healthy boy. Bruce’s mother shared, “I am happy to know that my child will get the help he needs through this program."

Roza is a 45-year-old moto-taxi driver from Cambodia. He is married and has one daughter and two sons. All of his children are in school. When he has time off from work, Roza enjoys watching the news and Khmer boxing on TV. One month ago, Roza developed a chalazion in his right eye, causing him pain, swelling, burning, tearing, and itchiness. A chalazion is an inflamed cyst in a patient's tear gland. It is difficult for him to see clearly and drive his motorbike. Roza traveled with his wife to seek treatment from our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. On April 29th, surgeons will remove the cyst through a chalazion excision procedure. After recovery, Roza's symptoms should improve. He needs help raising $187 to fund this procedure. Roza shared, "I hope after surgery my eye feels comfortable and I can return to my driving to support my family."

Twinomugisha is a farmer from Uganda. She is a widow and a mother to three children all in school; the first child is in senior six and the other two are both in senior three. Twinomugisha graduated from college and became a Grade 3 school teacher. Her major source of income is from the small salary she earns from teaching in a primary school. Twinomugisha came to the hospital because she had been experiencing severe colicky lower abdominal pain for the last three years. She has been experiencing abdominal discomfort and severe back pain, to the extent that she is unable to bend over. Upon further assessment and review, Twinomugisha was diagnosed with an ovarian mass. To treat her condition, she needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $219 to fund Twinomugisha's gynecological surgery. On November 3rd, she will undergo a hysterectomy at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Twinomugisha will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Twinomugisha shared, “I hope to get better after my surgery and have a new life after surgery as I continue with teaching after I have fully recovered.”

Thaung is a 57-year-old man who lives with his relatives in a village in Burma. He has two daughters and two sons from his previous marriage. He works as an agricultural day laborer earning around 17,500 kyat (approx 17.50 USD) in a month. This income is not enough to cover his daily needs nor pay for basic health care. One of his daughters, who works as a day laborer in the market, supports him partially. However, she is not able to give him a lot of money as she needs to support her own family as well. In June 2020, Thaung was working in the field. While working, his sandal slipped off and he stepped on a stick which cut the sole of his right foot. He treated the cut with traditional medicine but over time his right foot became swollen and painful. He also developed a fever and chills. He then went to a nearby clinic for treatment but he did not feel better. His friends then suggested that he seek treatment at Mawlamyine Christine Leprosy Hospital (MCLH). When Thaung arrived at MCLH, the doctor assessed his right foot and saw that the wound had now become infected and swollen. The wound also emitted a foul smell. The doctor diagnosed him with an ulcer as well as diabetes, and said he needed to receive surgery. When his daughter agreed to borrow money to pay for it, Thaung underwent a wound debridement surgery. Following the operation, he had the dressing on his wound changed daily. However, later on the doctor told him that he hand to undergo surgery for a second time. When Thaung told the doctor neither he nor his daughter could afford to pay for his second surgery, the doctor referred him to MCLH's partner organization, Burma Children Medical Fund, for assistance accessing the surgery. Currently the ulcer on Thaung's right sole is not healing well. He is also worried about borrowing any more money because he cannot earn enough to pay back a loan. Fortunately our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, can help. Now, they are asking for your help to fund Thuang's $694 medical treatment.