“My child is so small and I now understand that it is due to his nutrition. I want to know what I can do to help my son because I do not want to have a sick child that is growing poorly,” says the mother of Juan, a 19-month-old baby from Guatemala. According to our medical partner Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), “Juan is the youngest of 9 children. Juan loves to play with his sister Alma and brother Oscar. Together they play with little toy cars and a plastic ball.” Juan is acutely malnourished and his immune system is weak, which WK believes “is mainly due to lack of education.” WK says, “Juan’s family constantly struggles financially to afford food and clothing for every family member, and as a result the oldest children work instead of attending school.” In addition to Juan’s symptoms of frequent illness and below-average height and weight, WK says, “Insufficient intake due to food insecurity, and excessive output due to parasitic disease, have prevented this little boy from absorbing the nutrients necessary to grow developmentally. Without intervention, this will then affect Juan’s ability to build a strong immune system…his capacity to concentrate and do well in school will be limited, therefore causing declined economic productivity in long term.” For $512, Juan can receive treatment for his acute malnutrition. Children enrolled in WK’s recuperative nutrition program receive several months of intensive intervention, which includes an evaluation for thyroid disease, anemia, and intestinal infections and weekly monitoring visits to the home by doctors. Juan will also receive food supplements to reintroduce essential micronutrients into his diet. To prevent the issue from recurring, WK will enroll Juan’s parents in an intensive nutrition course. “In this program his parents will receive intensive nutrition education that will give the skills to purchase nutrient dense food options and prepare healthier meals,” says WK. “Over time he will be able to recoup the weight and height he has lost, and catch up to his more healthy peers. He will avoid the detrimental long-term affects of malnutrition.”

Say hello to Ma Khin, a 44-year-old woman from Burma! She’s living with rheumatic heart disease, which means she frequently experiences chest pain, heart palpitations and difficulty breathing. It’s hard for her to walk long distances, and she gets tired very quickly. As a result, she’s unable to leave the house without assistance, and had to close her small shop. Ma Khin lives with her mother and 20-year-old son. Her husband left eight months ago without taking responsibility for her health care, and her illness is causing stress for her other family members. Ma Khin’s older brother provided some money towards her medical expenses, but he is unable to pay for any more treatment. For $1500, Ma Khin can have valve replacement surgery which will stop her chest pain, fatigue and other symptoms. She will have the strength to re-open her shop and support her son so he can continue his studies. She said she’s grateful to have this opportunity for treatment, and would like to return to a normal, healthy life. Let’s help her out!

Moses is a father of three children. He loves his family dearly. He works as a mechanic, but was forced to stop working last year when he was hit by a reckless driver and broke his leg. It's been several months since the accident, and Moses' leg is healing improperly. He now has a malunited tibia, causing severe pain and inability to use his right leg. Moses' wife, Mary, used to take care of their children. She now works odd jobs trying to make ends meet. Moses says it pains him to see his wife strain so much to provide for their family. With our support, Moses will be able to afford the $1,200 surgery he needs to walk again and support his family. Let's show this family man that we're behind him 100%!

Bhupsundar is an 11-year-old boy from Nepal who fractured his wrist when he fell from a tree he was climbing. He needs surgery to repair his wrist, which is currently painful, swollen, and limiting his mobility. Bhupsundar loves to climb trees, study Nepali in school (where his father is a teacher), and play volleyball. Bhupsundar aspires to be a doctor one day. This surgery will cost $985, and will allow Bhupsundar to engage in his favorite activities once again.

Erick is a six-year-old from Zambia who wants to be a doctor when he grows up. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor after intense headaches and vomiting kept him out of school for almost a year. Whereas most kids would love a year off school, Erick misses his favorite subjects; geography, science, and math. CURE International is requesting $2,000 to fund surgery to remove Erick's tumor. The surgical team is "confident that they'll be able to treat the tumor, get Erick back in school, and back on his path to medical mastery!" They're even trying to recruit Erick to consider coming to work at CURE Zambia once he gets his degree. Let's help get Erick back in school and on the path to becoming CURE's next heroic doctor!