Oun is a 54-year-old fruit seller from Cambodia. She has five children, three grandchildren, and enjoys watching Khmer dramas on television in her spare time. Six years ago, Oun developed a pterygium in her right eye, causing her irritation, redness, tearing, and blurry vision. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Oun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. Oun needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $201. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for December 10th. "I hope that the tearing in my eyes will stop and I will be able to return to my work selling fruit at the market," she shared.

Gladness is a baby from Tanzania. Gladness mother used to stay at her parents’ home until her older sister welcomed her to her place to help her around with house chores. It’s from her sister’s place she met Gladness’s father. They had been in a relationship for three months and soon Gladness’s mother realized she was pregnant. She informed him about her pregnancy and that’s when she found out that he was married with a wife and children. Gladness 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, Gladness has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Gladness will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $728 to cover the cost of surgery for Gladness that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on September 23 and will drain the excess fluid from Gladness's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Gladness will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Gladness’s mother says, “My daughter was doing ok but unfortunately her shunt failed and she needs another surgery, please help my daughter.”

Christian is a one week old boy from Tanzania. He is the last born child in a family of two children. His parents depend on small scale farming for their living with no other source of income. Christian has clubfoot of his right foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Christian traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on November 14th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $890 to fund Christian's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily. Christian’s mother says, “We would love our son to have normal feet and grow into a normal child not having to go through discrimination. The cost is too high for us to afford please help.”