“Aylen is a very optimistic mother,” says our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM). “She always has this strong feeling of positivity even though they are experiencing different kinds of difficulty in life.” Aylen, a 49-year-old mother from the Philippines, "loves to interact with people, especially those that are members of her church.” After a recent visit to the ICM clinic, Aylen was diagnosed with cholelithiasis, also known as gallstone disease. This condition occurs when small masses harden within the biliary tract, most frequently in the gallbladder. At this stage of her disease, “Aylen is experiencing pain that radiates in her back,” explains ICM. Due to the symptoms caused by her condition, Aylen is having trouble doing her daily activities. In particular, ICM says, “She is having difficulty in doing daily household chores and taking care of her family.” However, Aylen’s family does not earn enough income to afford the cost of her treatment at this time. With $1,384, she will receive a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This minimally invasive operation will remove the gallstones from her gallbladder. In addition to her surgery, Aylen will also receive five days of hospital care to ensure that she has access to all of the medical help she needs in the first several days of her recovery. After having the gallstones removed, “Aylen will be able to function better, especially in doing household chores and taking care of her family,” ICM explains. Looking ahead to the future, Aylen "is excited to take care of her family and be very active in the church when treatment is done.”

“Chinyere is a friendly young lady and the oldest in a family of six,” reports our medical partner, Hope for West Africa (HFWA). “She likes reading and is currently studying to be a nurse.” Meet 28-year-old Chinyere from West Africa. Chinyere has a uterine fibroid, a noncancerous growth that develops from the smooth muscular tissue of the uterus. She has experienced “bleeding which can be heavy enough to cause anemia, and painful, prolonged periods which can last for several days,” explains HFWA. “The pain is so severe that she doesn’t go to school whenever it starts.” Chinyere needs surgery to treat her condition, but “her parents are petty traders and they cannot afford the amount that the surgery will cost.” With $1500 in funding, Chinyere can undergo a procedure to remove the fibroid and fully resolve her painful symptoms. This cost subsidizes labs, radiology, surgical costs, rehabilitation, medication, travel, and lodging. “The surgery will allow Chinyere to concentrate on her studies,” continues HFWA. “She will have less heavy bleeding that often times does not allow her to go to school and mix with others.” HFWA adds, “Chinyere is looking forward to concentrate on her studies and assist her parents in their petty business after the surgery.”

Meet Carlos, a one-year-old baby from Guatemala and the youngest of four children. “He loves to play with his toy cars and make sound effects when he drives them along the floor of this house,” shares our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). “Carlos is suffering from malnutrition. His weight and height are far below the average for his age, and he is at for the risk for long-term negative effects of malnutrition,” WK explains. “If left untreated, Carlos will not develop to his full potential physically and mentally, and will hit developmental milestones later than his peers.” WK adds that, without intervention, “Carlos’ energy will decrease, and he will be unable to develop to his full mental potential, thus limiting his ability to concentrate and go far in school. His immune system will weaken, putting him at risk for infections, such as pneumonia, and later in life he will be at higher risk for chronic illness such as diabetes and hypertension.” For $535, we can fund a comprehensive acute malnutrition treatment that will get Carlos back on track. “He will receive micronutrient and food supplementation and his parents will undergo intensive nutrition education so they feel confident continuing his care even after treatment with WK is completed. Carlos’ immune system will strengthen and he will have more energy to play with others and learn from his surroundings,” reports WK. In the words of Carlos’ mother, “I am grateful to God and to the institution for the help that you are bringing to my baby Carlos, so that he can recover. I don’t feel capable of being able to give him all the nutrients necessary for his recovery.” Let’s help Carlos regain his energy and return to a stable course of growth!