“I want to be well, take care of my kids, and join in campaigns on cancer awareness,” shares Beatrice, a 34-year-old mother of two from Kenya. Last July, Beatrice was diagnosed with cancer in her left breast. According to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), Beatrice has undergone a few sessions of chemotherapy, which have left her "experiencing fatigue and pain." This diagnosis has also seriously affected her daily life, prohibiting her from working as a shopkeeper. As a result, her children are currently living with their grandmother. Chemotherapy sessions have drained Beatrice’s family’s savings. Due to her inability to work, Beatrice now depends solely on her husband’s earnings as a mechanic. In order for Beatrice to continue receiving the treatment she needs from AIC Kijabe Hospital, she will need financial assistance. Without a mastectomy, there is risk of the cancer spreading to other parts of Beatrice’s body. For $740, Beatrice will receive the mastectomy that she needs. WK is optimistic that after the treatment, "risk of cancer spreading to other parts of Beatrice’s body will be reduced and she will be able to take care of her family again."

“It is a hard thing to see our son set apart from other young boys, and to know that he will have massive difficulties socially as well as physically,” shares Kanyiki’s mother. “We only want help in order to give Kanyiki a chance to enjoy his future as he should.” Kanyiki, a baby from Kenya, has a rare congenital defect known as encephalocele. This means that parts of his brain are protruding through openings in his cranium, manifesting as a large lump in his forehead. When Kanyiki was born, the swelling between his eyes was barely noticeable, but “the swell began to grow quickly,” reports our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Now at three months old, Kanyiki’s protrusion is sizable, and “the lump is painful. Washing his face is challenging.” Further down the line, the Kanyiki’s encephalocele could cause him even larger troubles. “If not treated, Kanyiki may have mental and growth retardation,” explains AMHF. To avoid these life-long health effects, Kanyiki needs to undergo an extensive operation of approximately five hours. However, his parents, who are farmers, are struggling to make ends meet and they cannot afford to pay for their son’s crucial surgery. Fortunately, we can help this family give their baby a second chance. $780 will cover the cost of Kanyiki’s surgery, wherein doctors will remove any brain tissue that is protruding from his skull, and close up the opening in his cranium. Watsi’s funding also includes a ten-day hospital stay for Kanyiki to recover from his procedure. After this treatment, AMHF tells us, Kanyiki’s risk of serious psychological and physical retardation will be substantially reduced. Let’s make sure Kanyiki gets a shot at a normal physical, mental, and social life.

"I will do anything it takes for Mercy to get better,” shares the mother of Mercy, a three-year-old girl from Kenya. Mercy, who lives with her mother and four siblings, came to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), to be evaluated for lower back pain. “Mercy was born with both spina bifida [exposure of the spinal canal due to an improperly formed backbone] and hydrocephalus [an accumulation of fluid in the brain],” AMHF tells us. “At the age of two weeks, Mercy had a shunt inserted in order to deal with her hydrocephalus, but her spina bifida remained untouched. As a result of this, Mercy has now developed a tethered cord.” In children with spina bifida, the exposed spinal canal allows the spinal cord to attach to other tissues in the lower back. The cord becomes tethered to those tissues and is unable to move freely within the spinal canal, leading to back or leg pain, weakness or numbness of the legs or feet, and difficulty standing or walking. “Mercy has lower back pain that worsens with activity,” explains AMHF. “She also is not able to walk well and is often carried around by her mother.” In addition, Mercy has developed at a much slower rate than her twin or other children her age, making simple tasks very challenging. The effects of tethered cord have “greatly stunted Mercy’s growth and even means that she does not feed properly,” AMHF continues. “If not treated, she may develop scoliosis and/or kyphosis. She will also continue experiencing pain.” Mercy’s mother, who works as a casual laborer, barely makes enough money to provide sufficient food for her family. She cannot afford to pay for medical care or even a wheelchair for Mercy. “With five children to look after, it is becoming impossible to look after Mercy and to provide an income for the family at the same time,” shares Mercy’s mother. “I fear for her and for my whole family.” For $1,165, Mercy will undergo surgery to detach her spinal cord from the surrounding tissues. Funding also covers the costs of five days of hospital care—including labs, imaging, and medicine—and three days of physical therapy. With treatment, “Mercy can be saved from the pain she is undergoing,” says AMHF. “She will be able to walk and develop like a normal child.”

Born in Kenya only one month ago, baby Joy is the second child in her family. Joy’s mother brought her to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), seeking treatment for spina bifida. Spina bifida is a birth defect in which several vertebrae in the lower back do not close properly, leaving the baby’s spinal canal exposed. The spinal cord and its surrounding membranes protrude through the opening in the backbone, forming a sac on the baby’s lower back. “Joy has a leaking mass on her lower backbone area,” explains AMHF. Because tissues and nerves in the mass are exposed, “Joy is at a risk of infection” in addition to “development of a tethered [spinal] cord that can lead to either scoliosis or kyphosis and potentially loss of muscle function in her lower limbs.” Without immediate intervention, Joy may also experience urinary and bowel incontinence. Joy’s condition poses significant challenges for her family, as “looking after Joy requires round-the-clock care, from administering her care to ensuring Joy is hygienically clean to avoid infections that may result in fatality,” AMHF tells us. Joy’s mother, a single parent, cares not only for her two children but also for her grandmother who is ill. The money that she earns from washing clothes in the neighborhood is barely enough to support the family, let alone pay for Joy’s medical care. For $805, surgeons will place Joy’s spinal cord and membranes back inside the spinal canal and close the opening on Joy’s back. Funding for Joy also covers the costs of a five-day hospital stay, three days of physical therapy, imaging, lab work, and medicine. “The surgery will help prevent risk of infections, developing tethered cord, and paralysis of Joy’s legs,” says AMHF. “My biggest joy would be to have my little princess treated and successful in future—free from any disability or illness,” shares Joy’s mother.

"Aye stopped attending monastery school in January 2016 because she felt so unwell," reports our medical partner Burma Border Projects (BBP). Aye is a 15-year-old girl from Burma and towards the end of last year, “She started to feel pain in her abdomen and she felt tightness in her lower abdomen and pelvis and in her upper thighs. She was in a lot of pain and her lower back ached and felt like it was burning,” continues BBP. “She had an ultrasound test at Mae Tao Clinic, which found the mass and she was diagnosed with vaginal agenesis,” continues BBP. This translates to a congenital disorder of the reproductive system, which causes pain and discomfort. BBP continues to explain, "Aye's mother took her to see a traditional healer," who used a tamarind stick to try and correct the reproductive disorder and massage techniques to ease her pain. Unfortunately, these traditional treatments were not successful for Aye. When Aye was finally able to visit a BBP clinic, doctors discovered fibroid masses in her uterus and cervix, as well as the defective development of her reproductive organs. $1500 will pay for the surgery, as well as associated costs with transportation and her post-operational care, that Aye needs. BBP says, "Following surgery, Aye may be able to go back to her school in the monastery. She should be able to help her mother with household chores."

“Petrona has been having convulsions almost her whole life, preventing her from attending school, and getting a job outside her home. She gets convulsions a couple times a week, on average,” shares our medical partner Wuqu’ Kawoq. Petrona is an 18-year-old woman who lives in Guatemala with her family. “She loves to ride her bike, eat chocolate, and play with her younger siblings,” says Wuqu’ Kawoq. Petrona has epilepsy, and gets frequent and unexpected seizures. “This makes her parents fearful of doing things with her outside their home. They do not let Petrona leave the house alone, because she could have a convulsion and seriously hurt herself. This has left her mother to have to stay at home with her all the time to make sure she is okay and doesn't have a seizure," continues Wuqu' Kawoq. Her father’s crops haven’t found much success lately, and thus, the family does not have a consistent and stable income. Treatment and management for Petrona’s epilepsy will cost $967, which includes medication and regular doctor appointments. Petrona told our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq that “I would be happy to finally be able to learn how to read and write, to get married and have a family, and to start my own business raising chickens.”

For the past six months, 46-year-old Margaret from Kenya has been affected by backaches, dizziness, and heavy bleeding, subsequently causing her to develop anemia. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), shares that Margaret received a myomectomy in 2008 to remove fibroids from her uterus. "Due to the fibroids Margaret has not been able to conceive," AMHF explains. Instead, she chose to start her family by adopting her daughter, who is now seven years old. When her symptoms recently worsened, Margaret sought further medical care. "After taking different medications without success, the gynecologist suggested an ultrasound scan to be done which showed she has multiple uterine fibroids,” AMHF states. "The gynecologist said the best treatment now is a TAH (total abdominal hysterectomy)." This procedure will completely remove Margaret's uterus and cervix, relieving her of currently debilitating symptoms. Without treatment, "the anemia may get worse, requiring transfusion while the fibroids will continue to grow, causing more pain, bleeding and discomfort." $790 covers the cost of surgery, a five-day hospital stay, lab work, and the medicines that Margaret needs for a healthy recovery. Margaret "runs a small business of selling scrap metals," AMHF shares. "This business is not able to make enough money to meet the cost of the operation." “I have always wished to have a family of my own. Due to these fibroids I could not get a child," Margaret shares, "I adopted my daughter now aged seven years and I hope to get well and adopt a second child. I hope my surgery will be successful."

Sarah, a 10-year-old student in Kenya, was out with her mother and two siblings over the holidays and "were involved in a road traffic accident in which two people died," our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), shares. Immediately after the accident, Sarah and her family were taken to the hospital by good samaritans, and "are lucky to be alive," AMHF says. Sarah's right hand was fractured, and "an X-ray done confirmed the fracture and the surgeon ordered an ORIF (open reduction internal fixation) to be done." Right now, "Sarah is experiencing pain and inability to use the hand." Her mother shares that Sarah "was supposed to report back to school after the holidays but now she can't" because of her injury. Being the oldest of three children, her family has high hopes for Sarah's education. Sarah's father is a casual laborer at the local open air market, and her mother cares for their children. AMHF adds that the family "lives on very little; they live from hand to mouth" and are not in a position to meet the cost of this surgery. $1,125 covers the cost of the treatment that Sarah needs to be able to return to school with a healthy hand. Funds cover the cost of surgery supplies, meals, medicines, and post-operative care. During the procedure, doctors will go in and realign the broken bones and then fix them in place to ensure they heal properly. AMHF shares that Sarah's father was immensely distressed after the accident. "Please help my girl, the others are also here in the ward and I don’t know what to do." Despite the injuries, he still looks towards an optimistic future. "I pray that Watsi will help my daughter so that her hand can be well again to enable her continue with her studies. She is the hope of our family.”