Meet Timothe, a three-year-old boy from Haiti. Timothe lives with his parents and five siblings. Timothe has a congenital neurological condition called hydrocephalus, which causes excess cerebrospinal fluid to build up in his brain. According to our medical partner, Project Medishare (PM), Timothe’s head first began to swell a month after he was born. “The situation of my son affects me very badly,” shares Timothe’s father. “The other kids of his age are now going to school while my son cannot even sit to carry his own head. This makes me very sad.” If untreated, hydrocephalus can lead to long-term health complications, including delayed mental development. For $1,260, Timothe will receive brain surgery to treat his hydrocephalus. A shunt will be inserted into his head, draining the excess fluid and releasing the intracranial pressure from his brain. Timothe’s mother works as a saleswoman while his father teaches at the local school. Together, they produce a modest income that is not enough to cover the cost of Timothe’s medical expenses. “I will be very excited to see my son doing well after the surgery,” Timothe’s father tells us. “I just want him to be healthy.”

Bharat is a seven-year-old boy living in Nepal with his parents, older sister, and two younger brothers. He is in the second grade and enjoyed playing Kabaddi—a common contact sport in India and Nepal—when his health was better. Bharat has a left gluteal abscess, a confined pocket of pus that generally develops post-infection or with the presence of foreign materials. “Bharat has been living with the abscess for a month now,” shares our medical partner, Possible. “Because it has developed around his buttocks area, it has been immensely difficult for him to sit, walk and do all other basic activities.” $220 will cover the cost of care for the wound. “After the treatment, not only will Bharat’s abscess heal in a hygienic manner, but he will be free of the constant pain,” continues Possible. “In about a week’s time, he can freely do all the activities that other children his age can do.” “I want my son to regain his health,” Bharat’s mother tells us.