Landei is an adventurous, playful and social 10-year-old boy from Tanzania. A while ago, he and his friends were playing in the fields, climbing on electric poles as the cattle were grazing. Sadly, they didn't realize the dangers that the poles posted, and the boys were electrocuted. Landei sustained burns to his hand and thigh. He later developed gengrene and had an emergency below-elbow amputation. However, his condition is not improving and now he needs an above-elbow amputation to save the rest of his arm. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Landei to receive treatment. On June 10th, he will undergo surgery at AMH's care center and now, AMH is requesting $1,088 to cover the cost of Landei's procedure and care. Landei’s father shared, "our son’s accident found us with no money to seek treatment for him that’s why it’s gotten this bad. Please help him have the needed surgery."

Markon is a baby from Ethiopia. He is a cute baby boy who exclusively breastfeeds. His mother is a 16-year-old teen who ran away from her home at age 10 because of abuse and she lived in an orphanage until she turned 15. She did not go to school because she suffers from a heart condition that causes her to faint, and she would even faint on her way to school. After Markon’s mother got out of the orphanage she met a man who got her pregnant. He moved to another state and does not want to be involved in their baby’s life. A charitable organization now supports her with her food, shelter, and on her basic needs. Since birth, Markon has had inguinal hernias. The hernia causes him discomfort and he often cries. Fortunately, on February 13th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $562 to fund Markon's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. She said “After the treatment I believe, he will get better. And I have a dream to educate him. And I hope he will achieve big in his life.”

Philomena was diagnosed with ARM at birth. With this condition, the little one was found to lack an anal opening and instead was passing stool through her vagina. A few hours after birth, Philomena, one in a set of twins, was noted to have a distended abdomen. The doctor quickly checked on the baby and discovered she lacked an anal opening. To keep Philomena from getting a fistula, the doctors put in a colostomy at three days. Philomena’s parents paid for this through some family savings they had. When they left for home, Philomena’s twin sister developed a persistent cough which was later found to be a hole in the heart. "I have never felt this drained ever in my life. Since I gave birth I am always in hospitals with either one of my two babies,” says Philomena’s mother. Due to lack of finances, Philomena’s parents shared their plight with their church members and one of them advised that they visit Watsi Partner Care Center BethanyKids Hospital. At BethanyKids a surgery to create an anal opening has been recommended. If not treated, Philomena will not lead a normal life and will be forced to use a colostomy for life. The surgery is a cost Philomena’s parents cannot bear. Philomena’s father is a carpenter while her mother closed her grocery store to tend to the children. Together they have five children with three currently in school. With very limited income and having exhausted their savings, Philomena’s parents are not able to raise the funds needed. They had defaulted on paying the national health insurance premiums as they could not keep up, but they’ve been advised to try to maintain this coverage in the future given their family's health needs. “Please help us. It is quite a stressful time for us but we believe we will come from it as victors,” says Philomena’s mother.

We met with eleven-year-old Ian in the hospital ward as he was admitted for a skin traction after he fell from a tree and broke his left hand. His mother sat beside him helplessly while she watched her only son in pain. It took me time for his mother to talk as she was feeling very disturbed and stressed because of her son's condition. She was trying to help him sit up but he couldn’t because of his fractured hand. Ian was brought to the hospital accompanied by his parents. They walked for hours to get the nearest health facility where he was referred to our hospital for surgical review. On arrival, he had an x-ray done which showed that Ian had fractured his left supracondylar. Ian is the third born child in a family of five. He is the eldest son of Christine and Isaac. They are a humble family who is struggling financially and often lack food for their children. Ian's father is a farmer and his mother is a housewife. They live in a two-roomed mud house in upcountry of Kenya. Ian's father, who is a maize farmer says that his farming is not doing well due to poor rains in the area and he has not been getting good yields in recent years. Medical examination shows that Ian needs urgent surgical intervention for his hand, but his family is unable to raise money for their son’s surgery apart from $30 that they collected from friends and family. His family is requesting our prayers and financial support for Ian’s treatment enable him use his hand. Christine, Ian’s mother says, “It is painful to see my son cry in pain. I hope he will receive treatment soon. All I want is to see him happy.”

Daniel is a one-month-old infant from Tanzania. He is the youngest in a family of three children. His mother is a stay-at-home mother looking after the children while the father works as a secondhand clothes seller for a living. Since birth, Daniel has had bilateral inguinal hernia. If not treated, the hernia may result in intestinal tissue damage or even death. Fortunately, on April 7th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $539 to fund Daniel's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Daniel’s mother says, “Please help my son have this surgery, the doctor says he can’t wait for long or else his condition will continue worsening and we are unable to afford the treatment cost.”

Theara is a six-year-old student in primary school. She lives with her parents and her younger brother. Her father is a farmer. Theara's favorite subject at school is reading and when she is at home, she loves watching Tom and Jerry on TV. She told us her favorite food is chicken soup! Theara started to experience tonsillitis a month ago. Her mother bought medicine from a pharmacy, but it did nothing to help Theara's condition. During this time she has had difficulty breathing and swallowing and is experiencing throat pain and hoarseness. Her parents are worried that she will develop a more serious condition and that they will not be able to afford further treatment. Theara has come to Watsi's Medical Partner CSC in order to get a tonsillectomy. Once she recovers from this procedure, she will no longer experience throat pain, hoarseness, or snoring. Her mother said, "My daughter's throat pain has become very bad, and she can't eat much food. I hope that this surgery can make her throat feel better so we don't have to worry anymore. She wants to grow up strong so she can become a doctor herself."

Abaho is a 9-year-old student from Uganda. He is the middle child in a family of three children. He and his elder brother are in primary school while his younger sister is still too young for school and is still breastfeeding. Abaho's father is a mechanic while his mother was a tailor. The family lives in a single-roomed rental house. Since two years ago, Abaho has had an umbilical hernia. This causes him abdominal discomfort and pain. Fortunately, on May 12th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $241 to fund Abaho's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Abaho's mother says: “I hope that my child will be healed once he undergoes his surgery for a good health and continue with his education to have a brighter future.”

Godsgift is a baby from Kenya. To earn money, his father works on construction sites and his mother mends clothes. They have six other children as well. When Godsgift was born, he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition that causes cerebrospinal fluid to accumulate in the brain. He was referred to our medical partner's care center for treatment. Without treatment, he will experience developmental delays. Fortunately, Godsgift is scheduled to undergo brain surgery on January 29. The procedure will cost $634.

Tom is a nine-year-old student from Cambodia. He really likes to ride his bike around the village and hopes to become a teacher when he grows up. Since he was born, Tom has had a cataract in each eye, causing him blurred and cloudy vision. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Tom learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On February 12, doctors will perform a lensectomy surgery and an intraocular lens implant in each eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $398 procedure. He says, "I hope that my eyes will be able to see everything more clearly now. This way I will be able to read, play with friends, and recognize people's faces."

Twinamatsiko is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She is married with four children. For twenty years, Twinamatsiko has had a swelling on her right arm that often becomes painful. She has difficulty using her hand and difficulty sleeping on her hand. Twinamatsiko traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On October 2, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Twinamatsiko needs help to raise $187 to fund this procedure. Twinamatsiko says, “I will be happy when am relieved of this condition and I continue with cultivation to support my family.”

Nolan is a child from Tanzania. He is the youngest in a family of two children. For two years, Nolan has been experiencing flu-like symptoms, trouble breathing, low appetite, and sleep apnea. Frequent illness has caused the family to make repeated trips to hospitals for his care. Nolan was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $633 to fund a tonsillectomy for Nolan, which is scheduled to take place on October 19. Surgeons will remove his tonsils, hopefully relieving Nolan of his symptoms and helping him live more comfortably. Nolan’s mother says, “I hope that my son will be able to sleep soundly without suffering of sleep apnea and that he will have a good childhood.”

Laitwell is a father to five and grandfather to 15 from Malawi. He is a farmer and enjoys chatting with his grandchildren in his free time. Since June 2018, Laitwell has been experiencing pain and urinary difficulty. These symptoms are caused by an enlarged prostate, a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. He needs to undergo a prostate resection surgery, a procedure in which surgeons will remove part of the enlarged gland. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting $733 to fund Laitwell's surgery. On October 16, he will undergo prostate surgery at Nkhoma Hospital, our medical partner's care center. The requested money pays for supplies, medications, and two weeks of hospital stay. Laitwell's family is very supportive of this surgery and excited he will be feeling better soon. He says, "I am looking forward to resting and being free of pain after this surgery. Thank you."