Fatma is a 14-year-old girl from Kenya. She is the 4th born in a family of seven children, and is in grade 7 at Sowene Primary School. She is passionate about education and likes reading, her favorite subject being English. She aspires to become a designer in the future. Fatma has clubfoot on her right foot. They discovered the condition in 2017, and she was operated on at Mombasa Hospital, but the deformity has recurred, thus affecting her mobility. We met her at the AIC Cure clinic accompanied by her mother, Asli, who explained how they had visited different hospitals to seek medical attention for her foot, including undergoing surgery at Mombasa, but the condition hasn’t been corrected; instead, it continues to worsen/bend on the right side. Both parents operate a small shop in Taveta town, which provides the family with a small income. Fatma says that she feels pain while walking and is not able to play with her friends while at school. She is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct her clubfoot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and wearing shoes. Fortunately, Fatma visited our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on October 11. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, requests $1,286 to fund Fatma's surgery. After treatment, she will be able to walk without difficulty and continue with her studies uninterrupted. “I will be happy to see my foot corrected and appreciate your assistance,” Fatma said.

Lemurwa is a 15 year old student living in Kiserian, Arusha in Tanzania, with his parents and three siblings. His father works as a farmer and cattle breeder, and his mother is a dedicated homemaker, responsible for caring for the children and assisting with the milking of the cows. Lemurwa was diagnosed with acquired right genu valgus, a condition caused by the accumulation of excess fluoride in the bones, which results from drinking contaminated water. His right leg exhibits a more severe deformity compared to his left leg, leading to persistent swelling whenever he walks. Lemurwa has been suffering from this progressive knee deformity since the age of three, and things have only worsened over time. His condition limits his mobility and causes significant pain, making it challenging for him to walk long distances and to perform essential tasks, such as helping his family in herding cattle. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Lemurwa. The procedure is scheduled to take place on May 26th at Arusha Lutheran Medical Center. Treatment should restore Lemurwa's mobility, allowing him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decreasing his risk of future complications. Lemurwa says: "I hope that after this treatment I will be able to help out at home and that my leg will not be a barrier to my day-to-day life."

Alisa is two weeks old and the firstborn in her family. She lives with her parents- who are overjoyed to welcome her into the world- in Tanzania, where her father works at Asante Rabi Express, while her mother sells harvested crops at a local shop. Alisa's mother noticed that her left leg appeared different from her right leg. Concerned about this, she sought advice from the doctor at the hospital. The doctor diagnosed Alisa with clubfoot, a very treatable condition. Alisa’s treatment involves a series of casts that will be changed every few weeks. The casts are designed to gradually shift her foot into the correct position. After the casting, she is going to have tenotomy surgery on her left foot, a minor procedure that will release the Achilles tendon. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is seeking $935 to fund Alisa's clubfoot repair surgery, which is scheduled for April 21st at Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. As a result of her treatment, Alisa will be able to wear shoes and walk without feeling any discomfort. Alisa’s mother said: “The warm welcome made us feel safe and gave us hope that our daughter will be okay.”

Alvin is a 1-year-old boy and the youngest child in his family with two older brothers. He clings to his mother when meeting with our representatives in the hospital. His mother is a farmer of their small piece of land. His father operates a boda boda moto-taxi business. Their income goes to meeting the rental expense for their one-roomed house, and they do not have surplus to fund Alvin's treatment. Recently, Alvin has developed a bilateral inguinal hernia. He cries a lot as the area is sensitive and whenever he coughs. He is quite restless and has to sleep in a particular position. This has affected his day-to-day life and his mothers. He needs an inguinal hernia repair to avoid the hernia becoming strangulated. Fortunately, on January 24th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. African Mission Healthcare is requesting $230 to fund Alvin's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Alvin's mother says: “I wish to see my son get well after surgery and I think with your support, all will be possible.”

Yves is a young man from Haiti. He lives with his parents and sister in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince; they have been caring for him since he fell ill about five years ago. Prior to his illness, he worked as a clerk for a local business. Yves has a cardiac condition called severe rheumatic mitral insufficiency. One of the four valves of his heart was severely damaged by a rheumatic fever that he suffered a number of years ago, and cannot adequately pump blood through his heart and body. The care Yves is not available anywhere in Haiti, so Yves will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On September 12th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will remove his damaged valve and implant an artificial replacement. Haiti Cardiac Alliance is contributing $9000 to pay for surgery. Yves's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep and travel. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It will also pay for the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Yves's family overseas, and the cost of obtaining Yves' passport. Says Yves: "I am hopeful that I can get back to a healthy and independent life once my heart problem is fixed!"

Sajina is a sweet, smiley 5-year-old. She is the third born in her family of four children. Sajina looks forward to attending school and shared, “I have told Father to take me to school like my siblings, but he says I am still small.” Both Sajina’s parents are small-scale farmers who depend on their crop yield for food and work other’s farms, as well, for additional income. Sajina was diagnosed with bilateral genu valgus, as her legs bow inward so that her knees touch. 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 frequently complains of pain and tires quickly when walking short distances. For this reason, Sajina’s condition also makes it hard for her to attend school at this time. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help Sajina receive treatment. On June 7th, she will undergo corrective surgery to help restore Sajina’s mobility, allowing her to participate in various activities and significantly decreasing her risk of future complications. AMH is requesting $880 to fund this procedure. Sajina’s father says, “My daughter’s legs were really bad, now they look better, but she still needs another surgery.”

Walendjina is an adorable two-year-old toddler from Haiti. She lives with her parents, who are both market vendors, and her two older siblings in a small village in the mountains of northwestern Haiti. Walendjina has Tetralogy of Fallot, a rare condition caused by a combination of four congenital heart conditions. These conditions include a hole between the two lower chambers of the heart and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. On August 15th, Walendjina will fly overseas to the Cayman Islands to receive treatment. During this cardiac procedure, surgeons will close the hole in her heart with a patch and remove the muscular blockage from her valve. A portion of the cost of Walendjina's treatment is being supported by Have a Heart Cayman, and our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is raising the remaining $1,500 to cover the cost of Walendjina's labs, medication, followup appointments, and travel fees for her and her family. Walendjina's father shares, "Our family has been very scared for our daughter's health ever since she was born. We will all be very glad to be able to stop worrying so much about her heart!"

Lewis is a shy and quiet two-year-old boy, living with his mother and three siblings in Kiambu County, Kenya. Lewis' mother, who is separated from her husband, is currently unemployed but is sometimes able to sell fruit to earn money and support her family. When Lewis was born, the doctors determined that because of a birth defect, Lewis is unable to pass urine normally. While the doctors recommended surgery to correct the deformity, and all of the appropriate documents were completed and submitted, the request for surgery has been denied twice. If Lewis does not have the surgery, he could grow up socially isolated, be prone to infections, and he may suffer from infertility and the risk of cancer. Fortunately, Lewis is now scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on May 16th at Nazareth Hospital. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $710 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. “I have been worried wondering what more I need to do to finally get the money required for Lewis’s surgery, but I am glad that God has heard my prayers,” Lewis’s mother remarked.

John is 22-year-old who is working hard to make a life for himself. He currently stays with his parents in their ancestral home in the South Central Kenyan town of Narok, and works as a casual laborer who loads and off-loads maize for a living. Unfortunately during a dispute at a farm where he was working, John and other workers were attacked. John was hit on the head, resulting in an intracranial hematoma (pooled blood in his skull). The internal injuries are currently affecting his mobility and speech, and could be fatal without treatment. John urgently needs a craniotomy to remove the hematoma and this family is raising $1,500 for his surgery at Kijabe Hospital. His father says, “John is a young hardworking man. He was attacked while trying to earn a living. These head injuries are serious, they have made him almost immobile, and has started having trouble speaking. This surgery is urgent to restore his speech and ability to walk.”

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!"