Aaron is a five-year-old boy, the 3rd and last born child in his family. Aaron is talkative and likes playing with other children. His father is a farmer while his mother is a housewife and also a farmer. They live in a one-roomed traditional grass-thatched house in Kenya. Aaron has a condition called clubfoot on his right foot, which causes his foot to be twisted out of shape. This condition causes difficulty with walking and even with wearing shoes. Fortunately, Aaron traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital, to seek care. On November 15th, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on Aaron. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,286 to fund his clubfoot repair procedure. After treatment, Aaron will be able to walk easily and wear shoes normally and comfortably. Josphat, Aaron's father, shared, “I am humbly requesting for help to enable my son to undergo surgery. We would love to see him walk like other children.”

Sokunkanha is a 3-year-old girl from Cambodia. Sokunkanha has two older brothers who are in the 3rd grade. Her father is a factory worker and her mother is a farmer. Sokunkanha enjoys playing with toys with her brothers, painting, watching TV, and spending time outside with her mother. One year ago Sokunkanha received multiple injections in her right thigh as a treatment for bronchitis. After the injections, her mother noticed she was having trouble walking and running. Standing for long periods causes Sokunkanha pain and she is unable to walk easily. When Sokunkanha's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, they traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On September 29th, surgeons at CSC will perform a right patella realignment to realign the patella of her right knee allowing her to walk easily again. Now, Sokunkanha's family needs help to fund this $518 procedure. Sokunkanha's mother said, "I hope her knee and leg will be fixed now so she does not have to have more surgeries later on to fix this problem."

Meet Esther, a 13-year-old girl, from a village in Kenya who is in need of treatment for genu varus, a knee condition that impacts her ability to walk. Her aunt told us that Esther likes reading and is very active at home. She helps her mother in doing household chores. Esther came to the hospital with her aunt, her grandmother, and a friend from the village. They told us that her mother could not make it to the hospital since she has a young child and she also has a disability on her feet. Esther is the oldest in a family of two children, with her family hailing from a village in Machakos County. Her mother is a housewife while her father is a farmer. They shared that their family lives in a two-roomed mud-house. Esther was born a healthy child, however at the age of one years old, her family noticed un unusual bowing of her legs. She could also feel pain. Since then her condition has continued to worsen. Currently, Esther is a sixth grade student. She often feels pain while walking, she cannot walk far or carry heavy loads. Her self esteem has also been very low which has affected her studies as well. Surgery will be of great impact to her because she will be able to walk, continue with her education, help her mother, and most of it all her self esteem will improve meaning she will be able to interact with other children comfortably. “If there is any kind of help to help our girl, we will gladly appreciate it,” Esther’s aunt told us.

Sarorn is a 60-year-old mother of five from Cambodia. She has three sons and two daughters, and likes to make desserts and look after her family when she is not working. Three year ago, Sarorn had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. For this reason, Sarorn experiences headaches, dizziness, ear discharge, infection, and hearing loss. She is not able to hear others clearly, and this makes her husband and children worry about her alot. Sarorn traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On March 10th, she will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in her right ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $925 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. "I hope that once my surgery is over, the ear infection will stop and I will be able to hear again," Sarorn shared.

Abdulkirim is a baby from Ethiopia. He is a cute boy who loves to play with other children and with his mom. He is a happy child and has one sibling. Abdulkirim underwent a colostomy, in which the end of the colon is brought through an opening in the abdominal wall. This surgery is often performed to bypass bowel malformations, but colostomies are usually temporary and may call for closure. In Abdulkirim's case, his colostomy requires closure in order to restore bowel function and prevent future complications. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,057 to cover the cost of a colostomy closure for Abdulkirim. The surgery is scheduled to take place on June 30 and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Abdulkirim's mom shared, "We sold all our animals and we asked for help from our community twice. When we came to Addis Ababa, our son had already undergone two operations and we were struggling with finances. We were out of money to even pay for our hotel. I was so worried and afraid, but we are now hopeful that he will get the surgery and it will be successful. We hope he will grow up to be a healthy boy and achieve a lot by getting a good education.”

Saw Eh is a 25-year-old man from Thailand. He lives with his wife and two children in a refugee camp in northern Thailand. He works as a security guard in the camp while his wife looks after their two young children. His family receives 821 baht (approx. 27 USD) each month from an organisation called The Border Consortium as part of their rations, and he also earns 700 baht (approx. 23 USD) in a month from working as a security guard. Their monthly income is just enough to pay for their basic expenses. In the early morning of June 1st, 2020, at around 9:00 am, Saw Eh left the camp to forage for bamboo shoots in the jungle. While climbing over some slippery boulders, a few larger rocks from above him rolled down towards him. Unfortunately, Saw Eh could not avoid the falling rocks and was hit on the head and right leg. He was knocked unconscious and had no idea how long it took him to regain consciousness. When he did, he was in severe pain and cried out loudly for help. Luckily, a man was nearby and heard him shouting for help. The man fetched a few others to help him carry Saw Eh to the clinic in the refugee camp. At the clinic, the medic directly referred Saw Eh to Mae Sariang Hospital, as they knew they could not treat him in the camp. When he arrived at Mae Sariang Hospital, he received an x-ray, which confirmed that both bones in Saw Eh's right lower leg are fractured. The doctor then referred him to a hospital in Chiang Mai immediately, as he would need to receive surgery at a larger hospital, to ensure his leg heals properly. Currently, Saw Eh's right leg is in pain as well as his head. He cannot walk nor move his right leg. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Saw Eh will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for June 1st and will cost $1,500. The surgery will stop Saw Eh from being in pain and will help his leg heal properly. He will then be able to walk again.

Belinda is a young lady from Kenya and the last born in a family of five children. She has lost her father and two siblings, leaving her mother with the task of caring for her and her nieces and nephews. Her mother notes that she cares for more than 12 grandchildren in her house, relying on her small piece of land to make ends meet. Belinda was born with spina bifida and received a shunt insertion surgery when she was young. Six years ago, Belinda developed a wound on her gluteal region. However, she did not go to the hospital since the wound was not painful. In late 2019, the wound became septic with pus discharge. Belinda stopped schooling in 2015 due to stigma from other students and she relies on a wheelchair for her movement. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Belinda receive the treatment she needs. On June 12th, surgeons will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure to relieve Belinda of the gluteal ulcers she has. Following treatment, Belinda will lead a more comfortable life. Now, we need help to fund this $1,129 procedure. Belinda’s mother says, “My prayer is to have my child treated since the wound looks bad.”

Martin is a baby from Kenya and an only child to his parents. Together they reside in Limuru in Central Kenya in a one-room rental house. His mother is a full-time mom while his father partially works as a tailor from his house doing repairs and, at times, works at a hardware shop in Kenya’s capital as a handyman. Martin was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Martin has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Martin will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on April 3rd. AMHF is requesting $535 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. “I trust God is in control of this condition. He will make a way,” says Martin’s father.