Brian was born last night and is the first born in his family. His father works in a newly opened bakery and shared that he earns very little money, while his mother makes and sells pots to earn a living. After Brian was born, he was examined by the pediatric surgery team and diagnosed with anorectal malformations. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH) is helping Brian to receive treatment. On June 2nd, at AMH's care center, he is scheduled to undergo a colostomy surgery to enable him to pass stool. Now, AMH is requesting $592 to fund Brian's surgery. Brian’s father shared, “we are hoping and praying that our son will get treated despite the fact that we are not financially stable to afford the surgery.”

Julius is a young boy from Kenya and the oldest among his 3 other siblings. He is very ambitious and aspires to be a pilot in future. Recently, he was diagnosed with right inguinal hernia and requires surgery to repair it. He complained of a swell around his groin area and together with his mother, decided to observe it over time. However, for the past one month, Julius has been experiencing pain around the swollen location. He was taken to a local clinic and later referred to our hospital. With successful surgery, Julius will be able to lead a life free of the pain and achieve his aspirations.  Julius comes from a humble background. His father sells coffee and mandazi to provide for the family. His mother is a housewife. The family is not able to raise funds needed for his surgery and so appeal for assistance. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $423 to fund Julius's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. “I want to be a pilot when I grow up,” says Julius.

Blessing is a 17-month-old baby girl from Kenya. She lives with her mother and grandparents, all of whom work as subsistence farmers. At her young age, Blessing is just learning to talk and recently said "mama" for the first time. Benchmarks like these have brought a mixture of emotions to Blessing's mother, who is concerned about the deteriorating condition of her baby. Since she was six months old, Blessing has been living with a condition known as hydrocephalus. With this condition, excess fluid builds up in the skull and causes the brain to swell. Blessing's family first noticed the rapidly growing circumference of Blessing's head, and they then grew increasingly alarmed as they observed that she could not walk, sit, or hold up her head the same way that other babies her age could. If untreated, Blessing’s condition could lead to permanent brain damage, loss of vision, and even death. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is therefore requesting $685 to fund the surgical insertion of a shunt in Blessing's brain. The shunt is scheduled to be implanted on June 29 and will hopefully allow Blessing to continue reaching positive developmental milestones. “I am glad you can help Blessing get better and have a healthy life,” says Blessing’s mother.

Meet Paly, a 19-year-old farmer from Cambodia. He has four younger brothers and two younger sisters. In his spare time, he helps his mother with housework and plays football. As a child, Paly developed an infection in his left ear, which eventually spread to his right ear. He went to a hospital in Phnom Penh to seek treatment, but his symptoms did not improve. Paly experiences ear discharge, hearing loss, and tinnitus (ringing in the ear). He has had to stop work due to his condition. Paly and his mother traveled for one hour to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). ENT surgeons at CSC have diagnosed Paly with ruptured eardrums and otitis media (middle ear infection). On March 13, surgeons will perform a myringoplasty in each ear to repair the perforated eardrums and prevent further infection. Over time, Paly's hearing will improve. With $831, we can help Paly restore his ability to hear and get back to work!

Meet Grant, a 78-year-old man from Nigeria. Grant is dealing with the effects of benign prostatic hypertrophy with urinary retention. Essentially, this means that Grant has difficulty urinating. Patients with this condition often have trouble emptying their bladder completely, constantly feel as though they need to urinate, or still feel as though they need to urinate even after they are finished. Our medical partner, Hope for West Africa (HFWA), explains, “Grant has been dealing with the inability to pass urine for two years (with a regular infection) as a result of a permanent catheter that was inserted.” With this uncomfortable condition, everyday activities are a struggle. However, for $1,465 Grant’s catheter will be removed and, according to HFWA, “The treatment will enable Grant to live a normal life without urine retention and recurring infection.” Grant is the patriarch of a large family and is excited for the time when he will be able to spend for time with them once again. “Grant is married with seven children,” says HFWA. “He is a loving father and a grandfather. He looks forward to spending more time with his grandchildren when the catheter is removed.”