Christopher is newborn baby boy, born to a vegetable vendor and truck driver in Tanzania. He has two older siblings and parents that are determined to raise a healthy baby. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, shares that Christopher was born with myelomeningocele, a condition where the backbone and spinal canal don’t close before birth. Christopher also has hydrocephalus, where a buildup of fluid inside the skull leads to brain swelling. $1,200 will fund treatment to heal the lesion on Christopher’s lower back and prevent him from contracting infections. It will also stop his head from swelling and eliminate the risk of blindness. AMHF adds, “If not treated, Christopher is at high risk of not being able to see, it will be easy for him to contract infections through the open lesion and his growth will not be normal.” “Christopher’s parents did not expect their baby to be born with such complications. To a certain extent, the condition of their child has affected them psychologically, but now that they know something can be done to help him, they have hope of raising a healthy baby. The challenge is coming up with enough cash to cover the cost of operations needed,” AMHF shares. “We just hope our baby will grow up like his siblings; able to walk and perform various activities as he grows up,” Christopher’s mother shares.

Meet Orbele, a 15-year-old boy from Tanzania. Orbele lives with his aunt, uncle, and three cousins. According to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), Orbele is a “polite boy who enjoys studying mathematics and history.” Outside of school, Orbele used to enjoy playing soccer, but due to bilateral genu valgus ("knocked knees"), he is currently restricted to a more sedentary lifestyle. Bilateral genu valgus occurs when the knees angle outwards, ultimately causing the lower legs to be positioned away from each other. While this is a common condition in very young children and typically resolves itself naturally, Orbele’s case has only worsened with time. “Orbele’s legs started to bend inwards when he was nine years old,” explains AMHF. Now, “he is unable to walk without knocking his knees. The condition has affected his gait and ability to walk or run quickly—he also complains of pain, especially on his left knee after walking a long distance.” Unless he receives treatment, Orbele risks developing osteoarthritis. AMHF says that while his aunt and uncle “love Orbele very much and would like to see him able to walk like he used to,” they do not have the income to cover his treatment costs and support the rest of the family. With $940, Orbele will undergo surgery to straighten and realign his legs. Included in the total cost of treatment, Orbele will receive specialist care from Plaster House—a rehabilitation program. During his three months at Plaster House, Orbele will have two weeks of intensive physiotherapy, which will be critical to his successful recovery. Following surgery and rehabilitation, AMHF shares, “Orbele will be able to walk properly and will decrease his chances of developing osteoarthritis at a young age.” Orbele shares, “I dream of becoming a primary school teacher!”

Em is a 43-year-old wife and mother of three from Cambodia. To support her family, Em works at a local rubber farm. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), shares, “after working, Em cleans the house and cooks dinner for her family.” After being troubled by reduced sight, Em visited CSC’s clinic and was diagnosed with a mature cataract in her left eye. Cataracts occur when a thin, cloudy film appears over the eye lens. Without intervention, this mass continues to grow and solidify—causing a decline in vision. The cataract in Em’s left eye has reached maturity—the cloudy film is now a solid, opaque layer over the eye lens. Consequently, “the cataracts in Em’s eye has made her partially blind,” CSC explains. This loss of vision has made it impossible for Em to work. Unfortunately, Em’s poor vision also detracts from her independence—CSC tells us, “she can’t really go anywhere alone. She doesn’t go to the pagoda unless there is someone willing to help her.” With $150, Em will receive an operation to remove the old, opaque lens and replace it with a new, artificial one. Following two days of hospitalization, Em’s vision will be restored. CSC shares, “After surgery, she wants to go back to the rubber farm and be able to walk anywhere she wants to.”

Meet Thi Win, a 29-year-old woman who lives in Thailand. While initially from Burma, Thi Win “moved to Thailand three years ago to look for better employment opportunities," shares our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). She now lives with her husband, parents, brother, and two nieces. To earn an income and contribute to the family, Thi Win and her husband both work as farm laborers. Over the past two years, Thi Win has experienced increasing abdominal pain due to an ovarian cyst—a semisolid mass that develops within the ovaries. Since Thi Win and her husband earn a modest income, Thi Win avoided going to a clinic, hoping that the pain would subside on its own. Instead, “Thi Win’s pain gradually got worse,” BBP tells us. Finally, the pain forced Thi Win to visit a medical clinic, where an “ultrasound showed a cyst on Thi Win’s ovary that requires surgery." Without intervention, ovarian cysts can grow larger over time, increasing pressure in the abdominal area and causing discomfort throughout the body. BBP reports, “Thi Win has pain in her lower back and abdomen that makes it difficult to sleep and has forced her to stop working for the past several months. She has difficulty breathing, tingling in her legs, and dizziness.” With $1,500, Thi Win will undergo an operation to remove the ovarian cysts. In addition to surgery, funding will cover seven days in the hospital, transportation costs, and an outpatient follow-up appointment. Completely removing the cyst will prevent the same tissue from growing back in the future, “putting Thi Win’s mind at ease,” BBP states. They add, “surgical removal of the cyst will allow Thi Win to live without pain and return to work.” Following surgery, Thi Win is enthusiastic to begin a new chapter in her life. She shares, “once I am well, I would like to have children. I hope to keep working to provide for my parents and other family members.”