Brian is a very sharp and confident young boy. He lives with his parents and siblings in Nairobi. Brian’s father is a construction worker, while his mother is a stay-at-home mom. Around April of last year, Brian began suffering seizures. Over time, they have increased in frequency. He has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Brian visited our medical partner's care center, where surgery was recommended. If not treated, he is at risk of brain damage or loss of vision. Fortunately, he will undergo brain surgery on February 5. Now, his family needs help raising $1,500 to fund surgery. “I want to be a policeman when I grow up,” says Brian.

Dorcus is a child from Tanzania. She is the first born in her family. Dorcus’s mother is a small businesswoman, and her father is a motorcycle taxi driver. Since she was five months old, Dorcus has been experiencing regular fevers, difficulty breathing, and sleep apnea. Frequent illness has lead to several hospital admissions. Dorcus was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils, which, if not treated, will cause her symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $633 to fund a tonsillectomy for Dorcus, which is scheduled to take place on January 4. Surgeons will remove her tonsils, hopefully relieving Dorcus of her symptoms and helping her live more comfortably. Dorcus’s parents say, “Please help our daughter get this treatment. She is not eating or sleeping well, and she keeps loosing weight.”

Bo is a four-month-old baby boy from Burma. He lives with his family in a village in Hlaingbwe Township, Karen State. Bo was recently diagnosed with hydrocephalus, which has caused fluid to build up in his brain. Without immediate surgery to alleviate the intracranial pressure that the excess fluid is causing, he is at risk of developing severe, potentially fatal medical complications. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund the insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt for Bo, which will drain the fluid that has accumulated in his brain. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 17, and, once completed, will greatly improve Bo's quality of life. His mother says, "As parents, we are very worried about Bo's condition. We understand that he will probably have continued mobility problems in the future, but we are anxious to prevent any further complications."

Meet Nallely, a 10-month-old girl from Guatemala. Nallely has two older siblings and lives with her parents in a humble adobe house with a tin roof. She loves to listen to music and dance. Nallely's mother cooks, manages the kids, and attends to the house. Nallely is below the average height and the average weight for her age due to acute malnutrition. She currently is not consuming enough calories and enough quality foods. As a result her physical growth is stunted, and we worry her mental growth will be stunted as well. As a result of food insecurity and marginalization, indigenous Guatemalan villages have the highest rates of stunting in the world. In addition to growth stunting, malnutrition can lead to lower IQ, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. $512 will fund the treatment Nallely needs to address her nutritional deficit and improve her low energy and subsequent limited mental potential. This involves micronutrient and food supplementation, deworming medication to rid Nallely of a parasitic infection, and nutrition education for her parents. With these combined efforts, Nallely will recoup her weight and height and strengthen her immune system, laying the foundation for a healthier future.

Anley, a 17-month-old boy, was born in Haiti with a cardiac condition called single ventricle, in which there is no wall between the two lower chambers of the heart, resulting in one large chamber. Oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood mixes freely in this chamber, depriving his body of the oxygen it needs. If untreated, this would be fatal. Anley lives in Port-au-Prince with his mother and grandparents. He is an only child. His mother is not presently working, though hopes to do so when Anley is healthier. He is a curious and happy child, and enjoys playing with toys and especially bouncing balls. Anley will require a diagnostic catheterization followed by an open-heart surgery to partially repair the problem, and then a second surgery one to two years later to complete his treatment. For $1,500, Anley will be transported overseas to the Cayman Islands, where Health City Cayman Islands will perform his surgery, in addition to subsidizing the $15,000 surgical cost. His mother shares, "When I first heard what was wrong with Anley's heart I was very scared, but now I have faith that he will be able to be a normal boy."

Angela is a 44-year-old mother of six children who lives in the Philippines. Seven years ago, Angela began tiring easily when doing household chores and would sometimes not finish her tasks for the day because she would need to stop and rest multiple times. She also began feeling nervous and having difficulty sleeping at night due to discomfort. To support the family, Angela's eldest son works as a fisherman and gives his mother money every month. His income is necessary to provide for their daily needs, as Angela's husband leaves only enough money to cover a month's worth of expenses when he goes away for five months of the year. Angela cannot work as she has to take care of her children, and she tries hard to keep them in school. Recently, Angela was visited by her family's pastor and a friend who is a part of our sponsored community to discuss a program to help her family elevate their economic status. During the second week of the program, Angela underwent a medical screening and was diagnosed with thyroiditis, a condition involving inflammation of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate the body's metabolism. When the gland is inflamed, thyroid hormone production can decrease, leading to fatigue. After completing blood tests, Angela was cleared to undergo surgery to remove her thyroid so that her condition would not progress. $1,500 covers the cost of Angela's surgery, transportation to and from the hospital, 10 days of hospital care—including medicine, imaging, and additional blood tests—and medication to take after she goes home. Angela looks forward to having more strength to take care of her family. "I would like to be healed and become better to serve my children and family and have quality time with them," she shares. "I want to be effective as a mother and friend to them. Thank you for your kind hearts."

Nine-year-old Khu is the youngest of six children and lives on her family’s farm in Burma. “When Khu was a year old, she first developed jaundice, fever, and a distended abdomen,” our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), tells us. She was prescribed medicine from a local clinic to treat her symptoms, and at age six, she was diagnosed with thalassemia. Thalassemia is a genetic condition in which the body does not make enough red blood cells, and the existing red blood cells do not transport oxygen efficiently. This is problematic because red blood cells carry oxygen to all of the body’s organs. When an organ’s oxygen supply is inadequate, the organ cannot function properly, and symptoms such as fatigue, pallor (pale skin), and slow growth rates can result. “Khu needs a blood transfusion every month, and if [she does not receive it], she becomes pale and tired,” explains BBP. “Khu no longer goes to school as her illness continually forces her to miss classes, and she falls behind the rest of the class.” Khu also has an enlarged spleen—known as splenomegaly— which is common in individuals with thalassemia. The spleen is responsible for destroying old and defective red blood cells. In thalassemia, the rate of destruction is increased in response to the abnormal and transfused red blood cells in circulation, and the spleen grows larger due to the increased activity. “With thalassemia, a splenectomy [removal of the spleen] is often required to alleviate symptoms,” BBP continues. The family’s farm work—growing rice, selling livestock, fishing, and collecting wild fruits and vegetables—provides sufficient income for their day-to-day expenses, but they can afford only the most basic medications for Khu. For $1,015, Khu will undergo a splenectomy and receive seven days of hospital care and follow-up appointments after surgery. “Following the surgery,” says BBP, “Khu should be able to go back to school, and she will no longer need blood transfusions.” "Hopefully, my girl can regain her health, return to school, and possibly become a medic in her future," shares Khu’s mother.