Esther is a 22 year old woman, living in Kenya. She is currently in her final year of school, pursuing a course in hospitality. Esther is supported by her mother, a widow, who runs a small grocery. Two weeks ago, Esther slipped on a staircase and broke her left ankle. At the local facility where Esther was initially taken, she was administered pain medication. An X-ray was performed at a second facility, and it was recommended that Esther undergo surgery to repair the fracture. Esther chose to visit the doctors at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, and now she is scheduled for surgery on January 5th, at AIC Kijabe Hospital. While Esther is currently unable to walk without support and without pain, the scheduled fracture repair surgery should restore her mobility. Now she needs your help to cover the $979 cost of the procedure. Esther says: “I am unable to go to school due to the fracture. I cannot walk and need the surgery to be able to use my leg again.”

Sein is a 27-year-old man from Burma. He lives in Karen State which is in a state of emergency. He enjoys hunting, listening to the news and watching movies on his phone. In December 2021, Sein, and his five friends were walking home in the forest, when one of his friends stepped on a landmine. In the resulting explosion, his friend lost his left leg and Sein fractured his lower right leg. He received treatment and felt better, but in September 2022, he experienced severe pain in his right leg. He is now unable to stand or walk on his right leg, thus he uses crutches for walking. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Sein will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for December 16th and will cost $1,500. This procedure will help Sein recover from the pain and to be able to walk properly again. Sein stated, "Because of my condition, I feel like I am a burden as (my friends) have to bring me from place to place searching for treatment (for my leg)."

Noah is a young boy from Ngarenanyuki, a small village in the rural parts of Arusha, Tanzania. He is a member of a big family with seven siblings. His father is a livestock keeper and at their home, the young children are responsible for helping around with light house chores. In 2021, Noah was in the kitchen with some of his siblings, and he accidentally fell into a pot of boiling water. He was badly burnt on his left side of the elbow near the chest. His parents provided first aid to Noah, because they live in a remote area, and it was hard for them to get to the nearest hospital. Noah’s wounds healed eventually, but left him with a burn scar contracture. The contractures tighten the skin around the burn area, and it is difficult to move his arm. Noah came to our center during a medical camp and was assessed to find out if he was fit for the required treatment to help with the burn scar contracture. Noah's parents cannot afford treatment and are appealing for help. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Noah receive treatment. On October 12th, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery to release the tightening and help him move his hand easily. Now, he needs help to fund this $874 procedure. Noah’s mother says, "I was worried that that my boy will grow up with that deformity but with what I have seen here, he is going to be better.”

Safia is a bright student - she is an orphan who is still mourning the loss of her mother who passed on in February 2022. Her father died a few years ago, and she lives with her relatives in Moyale. She has not been able to attend her classes since she started feeling unwell. She is the last born in a family of five children. She does not have medical coverage and is unable to raise the required amount for the surgery. She first experienced a small itch on her leg at the beginning of April 2022. She later experienced swelling in that area, and she did not have any feeling on the infected leg. Over time, the situation worsened and developed pus. She now has a chronic wound on her left leg that requires debridement and skin grafting. Safia was referred to our medical partner's care center Kijabe Hospital by friends after her condition did not improve. She visited the facility and underwent a sequestrectomy on the 8th of September and now needs a debridement and skin graft procedure. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Safia receive treatment. On September 14th, surgeons will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure so she can walk without straining and be able to attend school and continue with her studies. Now, Safia needs help to fund this $1,185 procedure. Safia's aunt says, “She has been away from school for almost five months now. Her condition keeps getting worse that she is unable to walk. We even have to carry her to the bathroom. She needs this surgery, or she will lose her leg.“

Erick is a first grade student from Tanzania who dreams of becoming a truck driver like his father. He lives with his mother, who works in a coal mine, and his siblings. His father works in a different city, but he still helps support their family. Erick enjoys playing soccer with his friends at school and helping with house chores once he is home. Erick has clubfoot of his left foot, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. In Erick's case, his left foot is twisted both downwards and inwards. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. His parents share that they are determined to see their child receive his needed treatment and get better. Fortunately, Erick and his family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on August 12th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $935 to fund Erick's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to run, walk for long distances, and carry things with ease. He will also be able to play soccer and help with house chores without difficulty. Erick's mother says, "My son has been through a lot. We are happy that he is going to get better after the surgery."

Esther is an adorable two-year-old girl from Kenya who is the only child in her family. Her father used to work in a shop, but he unfortunately lost his job over three months ago. Her mother sells shoes in a local town center to help support their family. When she was seven months old, Esther began experiencing severe constipation, even going two weeks without passing stool. Her worried parents took her to four different hospitals and received different types of medication, which were all ineffective. Fortunately, one of her aunts heard about her condition and referred her to our medical partner's care center, Bethanykids Kijabe Hospital. At the hospital, Esther was examined and diagnosed with Hirschsprung’s disease, a condition that causes difficulty passing stool. She began treatment immediately and eventually underwent several surgeries to rectify her condition. These procedures were all funded by her family's insurance. One of the surgeries Esther underwent was 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 Esther's case, her colostomy requires closure in order to restore bowel function and prevent future complications. However, her family is unable to fund this needed surgery, as their insurance rejected their funding request due to a depletion of funds. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), is helping Esther receive treatment. The surgery is scheduled to take place on July 25th and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably and confidently. AMHF is requesting $1,084 to cover the cost of a colostomy closure for Esther. Esther’s mother says, “As a family, we have gone through a lot with our daughter, but we are grateful to God that the treatment is almost over.”

Eddys is a farmer and tailor who hails from the highlands of Elgeyo Marakwet County in a small village well known for potato farming. She is a calm and conversational woman. Eddys is a mother of two aged between 5 and 9 years. She separated from her husband due to domestic violence at home. She returned to her homeland after the separation and now lives with her parents and her children in a semi-permanent house in their village. Before the incident, Eddys used to earn her wages through tailoring, a skill she learned in a polytechnic program. Eddys presented to our medical partner's hospital with a five-month-old fracture following a road traffic accident, which left her with severe injuries and a broken leg. Before they came to our hospital, Eddys was managed in a local health facility near her home. She had a cast applied and was told that she will heal without surgery. However, two months later, she started having pain in her leg. One of her relatives referred her to our facility where an X-Ray revealed a closed fracture of the shaft of her tibia. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On June 21st, Eddys will undergo a fracture repair procedure called an open reduction and internal fixation. Eddy will be able to walk, work and provide for her children once she heals. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,145 to fund this procedure. Eddys has been surviving on her friend’s contributions and relies on her mother because she has not been working since the accident. She appeals for financial assistance so that she can be well again. Eddys says, “My children need my motherly support which I am unable to give them since I broke my leg, it has been a nightmare for us. My hope is to get my leg treated and be able to walk again.”

Vania is a hardworking 14-year-old student from Haiti. She lives in an urban area of the island nation's capital, Port-au-Prince, with her parents and three younger brothers. She enjoys studying, especially science and literature. Unfortunately, Vania has not been able to attend school for two years because of her heart condition. She suffered from rheumatic fever early in her childhood. The illness damaged one of the four valves in her heart, leaving her with a condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. Her heart cannot pump blood adequately through her body, which leaves her weak and short of breath. The good news is that surgery can help. Vania will fly to the Cayman Islands to receive treatment. On May 16th, surgeons will remove her damaged valve and implant an artificial valve in its place. Another organization, Have a Heart Cayman, is contributing $17,000 to pay for the procedure. But Vania's family also needs help to fund other medical and travel costs, which is where our Watsi donors come in. They are raising $1,500 to cover lab work and medicine for Vania, along with checkup and followup appointments. It also will help pay for her to get a passport and support social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Vania and her family overseas. Vania says, "I am looking forward to this surgery so that I can feel more normal and go back to school."

Rehiwilzahra is a sweet toddler from Haiti. She lives in Port-au-Prince with her mother, father, and three older siblings. Rehiwilzahra likes watching cartoons and playing with her older siblings. Rehiwilzahra has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. This heart condition involves several related heart defects including a hole between the two lower chambers of the heart, and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. These defects prevent blood from circulating properly through the lungs leaving Rehiwilzahra weak and short of breath. The surgery Rehiwilzahra needs to heal is not available in Haiti, so she will need to fly to the Dominican Republic to undergo cardiac surgery to close the hole in her heart with a patch and remove the blockage from her valve. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance is helping Rehiwilzahra's family raise $1,500 to cover the cost of labs, medicines, and follow-up appointments. This amount also supports passport obtainment and the social workers to accompany Rehiwilzahra's family overseas. Rehiwilzahra's mother shared, "We have been praying for a long time for a solution to our daughter's heart problem. We are very thankful to everyone who is helping her!"