Celeste is a 3 month-old infant from Colombia. She was born in Medellín, lives with her parents, grand parents and great grandparents in a little house full of 4 generations. Even though she is so young she is a lovely girl who already smiles and laughs with everyone that comes and tells her she is cute. Celeste has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Celeste's family traveled to visit our Medical Partner Clínica Noel. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on December 18th. Our medical partner, Clínica Noel, is requesting $1500 to fund Celeste's bilateral clubfoot repair. After treatment, she will be able to learn how to walk properly and without pain as she grows up. Her mother said, "I hope you can help my little princess, since I found out at my pregnancy I have tried to learn about her condition so I can help her not to suffer and recover properly."

Maria Gorrety is a 56-year-old single mother from Ongata Rongai near Nairobi. Maria does works washing clothes for her neighbors, work that is just enough to sustain her. Her daughter recently secured a job with a company in Nairobi as is happy to be able to get work when it is available. Their income is only sufficient to maintain them for basic needs. While working, Maria slipped while stepping on a stool to clean, and she fell and broke her leg. An x-ray showed she had a closed fracture tibia on her left leg. Her family has been unable to raise the money for treatment and needs help. She is experiencing pain and cannot use her leg. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner could help. On October 12, Maria will undergo a fracture repair procedure called an open reduction and internal fixation. Maria will no longer be in pain; she will heal and be able to use her leg and work. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,049 to fund this procedure. “I am used to doing my own things and caring for myself and my daughter. I am worried about my leg and kindly request help so that my leg can heal soon and I can get back on my feet,” said Maria.

Keisha is a 5-month-old baby from Haiti, where she lives with parents and her older sister. Keisha is just starting to smile. Keisha has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid –the fluid which surrounds the brain– accumulates in the brain, increasing intracranial pressure. The accumulation of fluid has caused Keisha's head to expand beyond a normal range. In addition, Keisha has been experiencing another symptom--her eyes are focused downward (sometimes called “sunsetting of the eyes”). Keisha was brought to the hospital recently, needing emergency treatment for the pressure in her head. The neurosurgeon was able to temporarily relieve the pressure by removing some fluid from Keisha's head. But Keisha needs further treatment or else she will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Keisha is scheduled for surgery to put a flexible plastic tube called a shunt in her brain to redirect the cerebrospinal fluid into another part of her body. The shunt typically isn’t ever removed, and regular checkups are important to make sure it’s working. Draining the excess fluid from Keisha's brain will reduce the pressure and greatly improve the quality of her life. With proper treatment, Keisha will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $957 to cover the cost of surgery for Keisha at Hospital Bernard Mevs. This is the only site in Haiti where this care is currently available, and the procedure is scheduled to take place on October 19th. Keisha's family is hoping that the surgery will be a success and she can have a healthier future.

Meet Chanty, a happy 7th grader from Cambodia who hopes to become a teacher when she's older! Her favorite subject in school is Cambodian literature. Chanty has an older brother, and her parents are rice farmers. As part of their farming, they work long hours most days, especially in the harvesting season. In 2011, when Chanty was two years old, she fell near her house and burned her left hand on firewood. Now, burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around her burn and limiting her hand function. When Chanty's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), they traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On November 1st, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to improve the function of her hand. CSC is requesting $495 to fund this procedure. Chanty's family contributed $100 to her care. Chanty said, "I hope I can grip with my hand and be able to do things more easily at school and with my friends."

Jacinta is a 45-year-old woman who works as a small-scale farmer and her husband is a private primary school teacher. They have been married for 26 years and together have five children. Their oldest child is 25 years old and has completed university, and their youngest is 11 years old and in primary school. They shared that they have struggled but managed to raise school fees for their children through farming. They own a four-room old mud house where the main source of energy is firewood. Three years ago, Jacinta began experiencing troubling symptoms, including a small painless swelling on her neck. The swelling has grown and has become painful. She visited Kabale Referral Hospital and surgery was recommended but she missed a couple of appointments, got discouraged, and gave up. A friend recently referred her to Rushoroza Hospital for help. Jacinta has been diagnosed with a nodular goiter, an enlarged thyroid gland with cells that have grown into a lump. In addition to the mild pain, Jacinta also experiences periodic airway obstruction which is very concerning for her and her family. Jacinta is worried about the future if she is not treated and has been told she needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Jacinta to receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on August 25th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and she and her family need help raising money. Jacinta says, “I pray for a successful surgery so that I may look and feel my normal self again. I will continue with my farming once I am recovered.”

Federesi is a subsistence farmer from Uganda. She is married and a mother of four living children. Federesi lost both her parents, while her husband has lost his father. She is the second last born in a family of thirteen children, but unfortunately, five of her siblings passed on. She studied up to primary six while her husband reached primary five. They all do small-scale farming to support their family. For five years, Federesi has been experiencing excessive bleeding, lower abdominal pain and backache. She has been diagnosed with endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial carcinoma. She visited various health centres and was told her pain was due to fallopian tubes. Each time she visited the health centre, she was given medicine, but she did not get relief. On 18th October, she visited Good Samaritan Medical Center, where she was told that her condition needed surgery, but she was unable to pay for it. Her son, who works at Rwibaale Health Center, advised her to come to Rwibaale Hospital for help. Due to pain, she is unable to dig and walk long distances. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $253 to fund Federesi's surgery. On November 25TH, she will undergo gynecological surgery at Rwibaale Health Center. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully alleviate her symptoms. Federesi said,"I hope to get rid of pain and resume my duties of farming after surgery.’’

Joseph is a bright six-year-old student from Kenya. He is the oldest in a family of two children. Both of his parents work as small-scale farmers to support their family. Joseph has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Joseph traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on September 6th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,286 to fund Joseph's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk without difficulty and wear shoes again. Joseph mother says, “I have a very bright son. Everything else about him is fine except his feet. I hope he becomes a holistic, confident young man in the future, and I will definitely offer him my all to ensure that is achieved.”

Theng is a loving mother to two sons, three daughters, and six grandchildren. Theng's husband passed away many years ago, so she lives with her oldest daughter who is a cleaner in a local establishment. When she’s not helping her daughter with the house or grandchildren, Theng likes to listen to the monks pray on the radio. Five years ago, Theng developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her tearing, photophobia and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Theng learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On September 6th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, Theng will be able to see clearly. Now, CSC is helping Theng raise $253 to fund this procedure. Theng shared, "After surgery, I hope my vision can improve so I can go outside again without trouble, take care of myself and help my daughter with my grandchildren."

Bros is a proud father of one son and one daughter. He and his wife grow vegetables and sell them at the local vegetable market. At home, Bros likes to play chess with his friends. For the past several years, Bros has had ear fullness and hearing loss in both ears, although the left ear is worse. He has not sought any treatment because they cannot afford expensive medicines from local pharmacies. He has difficulty communicating with his family and customers, and he feels embarrassed about his hearing loss. Bros was told about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, from relatives, where he went for a diagnosis and treatment of his hearing loss. Surgeons have diagnosed him with chronic otitis media, which is a recurrent infection of the middle ear and/or mastoid air cells in the presence of tympanic membrane perforation. There are no medicines that will cure this disease. On October 19th, Bros will undergo a left ear myringotomy to remove all of the infection to restore his hearing. He needs assistance to pay the $184 cost, which will cover medicines, surgery, and post-operative care. Bros said: "I hope after surgery I will not have ear fullness and pain and I will have my better hearing back again."

Bizuayehu is a beautiful and cheerful girl from Ethiopia who loves to talk and play with her mother. She asks a lot of questions and she is eager to learn about things. She especially loves dolls. Her mother washes clothes and makes injera (a traditional Ethiopian food) for a living. Bizuayehu's father abandoned her mother when she was pregnant. She shared that there was a time when she couldn’t pay for her rent and was out in the streets for several months. This led to malnutrition for both of them but they were able to recover with help from the hospital's nutrition program. She is now living on her very limited income from making injera and washing people’s clothes in the neighborhood, and with support from another organization. Since birth, Bizuayehu has had a bilateral inguinal hernia. The bulge is usually visible when she cries, coughs or strains. She also gets irritable and has reduced appetite. Fortunately there is a cure and on October 6th, she will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $591 to fund Bizuayehu's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably and confidently. Bizuayehu's mother says, “Once my child gets better and cured she can join a daycare and I can do a better job to earn a better income. And I hope she will do well at school. I would like to thank BKMCM for all the support I got. I would also like also to thank our donors for this surgery. I don’t know what I could do if it was not for you and all the people at different times who supported me and encouraged me. I have been supported and gone through so many challenges, but I have had people by my side. I am thankful to God for this blessing.”

Mbula is a young girl from Tanzania. She has one sibling and lives with her family in a remote area far from the city; it’s hard for them to access basic social services. Mbula is raised by two loving parents who are farmers. They depend on their harvest to provide for their family. With the recent years' weather changing and droughts, it has been hard for them because they cannot depend on the rainy season for agriculture. This has made it difficult to sustain food at home. Mbula was diagnosed with genu varus, which causes her legs to bow outward. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, she has difficulty walking and running.. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is asking for $880 to fund corrective surgery for Mbula. The procedure is scheduled to take place on December 2nd. Treatment will hopefully restore Mbula's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Mbula’s mother says, “I feel sorry for my daughter, she has to go through pain almost every day.”

Manith is a playful and creative 7-year-old student from Cambodia. He lives with his parents and is the only child in his family. His mother works as a garment worker, and his father works as a taxi driver for a private company. Some of Manith's favorite activities include painting, playing with toys, watching cartoons, and playing with his friends. At home, he loves to eat soup and yogurts! Manith was born with a condition that caused two of his toes on his right foot to be fused together. Although he can walk, run, and play with ease, it is difficult for him to wear shoes. Fortunately, Manith is scheduled to undergo surgery to heal his condition on August 2nd at our medical partner's care center. This procedure will allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), is requesting $299 to fund this procedure. Manith's father says, "I hope his foot will heal well and feel good after the surgery."