Blessings is a beautiful 5-month-old girl and the only child in her young family. Her mother hopes to return to finishing school once Blessings is stronger and healthier. Blessings’s grandmother has stopped working to help take care of her grandchild and their family relies on Blessings’s grandfather who is employed as a gardener. Blessings has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Blessings has been experiencing increasing head circumference. Her mother gathered some funds with the help of Blessing’s grandmother and took her to a hospital. She was examined and the doctor requested a scan. At that moment their family did not have any money for the scan and they had to go home without knowing the way forward. While at home, they gathered more funds and went to another facility. Blessings was examined again and a scan was done. This center then referred their family to another facility in Nairobi for treatment. They shared that they went back home with the hopes of Blessings getting treated crushed as they could not afford the treatment that she needed. Thankfully, our medical partner's mobile clinic team visited the area where a relative referred them to their clinic. Blessings was examined and referred to BethanyKids Hospital, where she can finally undergo surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $720 to cover the cost of surgery for Blessings that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on April 6th and will drain the excess fluid from Blessings's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Blessings will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Blessings’s mother says, “I would like my child to be treated so that she is healthy and I can go back to school."

Jolly is 53-year-old farmer and a married mother of five children. She has three sons and two daughters. Jolly's daughters are teachers while two of her sons are drivers and the youngest son still in school. Jolly earns a living from small-scale farming while her husband is a fisherman. Their shared income helps meet their family's daily needs. For the last two years, Jolly has suffered swelling in her left foot from an injury she sustained. The swelling continues to grow in size and becomes increasingly painful when Jolly is walking. Doctors at Nyakibale Hospital diagnosed Jolly with a lipoma that requires removal to help her heal. On March 3rd, surgeons will remove the mass and our medical partners at African Mission Healthcare are helping Jolly raise $137 to fund this procedure. Jolly shared, "I believe that I'll get better and be able to resume my farm activities to support my family once I've fully recovered."

Naw Eh is a 18-year-old woman from who lives with her family in a refugee camp in Thailand. Naw Eh moved to the refugee camp in 2019 from across the Burma border with hope to continue her education as her village only offered primary school. In 2020, Naw Eh met and married her husband in the refugee camp. Unable to work currently, every month, Naw Eh's household receives 770 baht (approx. 26 USD) to meet their daily needs. In her free time, Naw Eh likes to embroider traditional Karen clothes which she sells to earn more for their family. Naw Eh is currently expecting her second child, and doctors recommend that she deliver via a caesarean section (C-section) as Naw Eh was diagnosed with eclampsia. Eclampsia is a rare, but serious condition where high blood pressure results in seizures during pregnancy. The doctors at Mae Sariang Hospital believe a C-section will ensure the safety of both mother and child. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is helping Naw Eh undergo a C-section on February 10th. This procedure will cost $1,500, and Naw Eh is seeking support to fund this potentially life saving surgery for her and her baby. Naw Eh said: “I stopped weaving and embroidering clothes because my stomach is getting bigger making it hard to do. I am excited to have my second baby.”

Benzaqueen is a 4-month-old baby and the second born in a family of two children. Her parents work hard to make ends meet for their family. Before she was caring for Benzaqueen, her mother used to do jobs like plowing and house chores for people to earn a living. Her father mostly works in construction sites when he can find jobs to provide for their family. Benzaqueen has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Benzaqueen has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Benzaqueen will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $720 to cover the cost of surgery for Benzaqueen that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on February 24th and will drain the excess fluid from Benzaqueen's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Benzaqueen will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl! Benzaqueen’s mother says, “We just cannot wait for our child to be fully out of the hospital and treated. We hope for the best.”

Rebecca is a very talkative and friendly woman. In September 2020, she noticed that her belly had started to increase in size and she thought she was pregnant. During one of the clinic visits, the doctor wanted to listen to the baby’s heartbeat but found there was nothing to listen to so they sent her for an ultrasound. The results revealed an ovarian cyst and her doctor advised her to seek for urgent review in a different facility. At the time, Rebecca did not have money to go for checkup. Her belly grew bigger as time went by and in August, her brother offered her help to support some of her hospital visits. She started visiting different hospitals but could afford them. Her brother recommended she try visiting Kijabe Hospital and upon arrival, she was examined and later was scheduled for surgery. Rebecca was employed as a tailor, but lost her job due to her health last April. Since loosing her job, she works doing casual jobs, like laundry work and cleaning houses and shops for people. In her new line of work, it is still hard to make ends meet and she shared that she now relies on her friends for connections to put food on the table. Learning that she might be able to have financial support for her surgery, Rebecca has new hope for the future. She said, "I’m very happy that at least there is some hope that I can get treated.”

Soy is a 44-year-old rice and vegetable farmer. She is married and has one son, two daughters, and two grandchildren. Soy's husband is a construction worker. Last September, Soy fell and fractured her right patella. It is still difficult for her to walk and she is in chronic pain. After the accident she went to a provincial hospital for an x-ray but she could not afford surgery there. Her cousin told her to come to our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) to see if the doctors there could help her. Fortunately, surgeons at CSC can help. On February 4th, Soy will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $465. This procedure will help her walk easily again. Soy says, "I hope my pain will stop and I can return to working and walking easily."

Yoeng is a 72-year-old retired rice farmer. She has four younger siblings including one brother and three sisters. She lives with her disabled sister, and is supported by her niece and the kindness of her neighbors. She likes to visit her local pagoda to wash dishes and chop vegetables for the monks. At home, she and her sister listen to the monks pray on the radio. Five years ago, Yoeng developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her tearing, sensitivity to light, and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Yoeng learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On December 9th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Yoeng shared, "I hope after surgery my eye can see clearly. I can recognize faces and go outside more. I want to take care of myself and my sister well."

Sokhorn is married and has one son and two daughters. Her eldest daughter is 21 and attends university in the capital city, her son is 18 and in 12th grade, and her younger daughter is 14 and in 8th grade. Sokhorn and her husband are both rice farmers. At home Sokhorn enjoys cooking for her family, exercising, and watching TV. On January 3, Sokhorn fell down stairs and dislocated her left elbow. After the accident she sought traditional Khmer treatments but her elbow did not improve. Her neighbor told her to come to our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) as she is still in pain and cannot extend her left arm. Surgeons will perform an open reduction procedure to treat the fracture and now her family needs help raising $412 to fund her medical care. Sokhorn shared, "I am thankful that I can return to work and feel well again after this surgery."

Innocent is farmer and a single mother with three children. Her elder son is in senior six of high school, her second is in senior four, and her youngest is in senior one. She holds a diploma in journalism, but hasn't been able to get a job within her profession, despite trying so hard to apply for one. She was married and her family lived in the capital area of Kampala. Her husband was a driver but was involved in a serious car accident where he lost his legs. They were renting a home and a time came when they couldn’t afford the high cost of living in Kampala. This led her to the decision to come back to stay with her parents in the village. Her father took up the role of helping to pay for her children's school fees. She shared that ultimately the distance between her and her husband caused them to separate, but he is a supportive father. Innocent's father has since passed away, but she has been able to keep her children in school through farming and acquiring loans from local community development groups. About 24 years ago, Innocent began to experience troubling symptoms, including a large neck swelling which leads difficulty in breathing and inability to turn around well. She was diagnosed with Nodular Goiter and needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Innocent receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on March 1st at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Innocent says, "I hope to get relief once operated on because I really need to be strong to meet the needs of my children."

Ren is a 70-year-old traditional Khmer cake seller from Cambodia. She has one daughter, four sons, and many grandchildren. Ren lives with her daughter who sells cakes with her as Ren's husband passed away 20 years ago. At home she likes to listen to the monks pray on the radio. Three years ago, Ren developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her photophobia and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Ren learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for five hours seeking treatment. On January 3rd, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Ren says, "I hope after surgery my eye can see well so I can help my daughter bake and sell cakes and take care of my grandchildren."