"Israel is a friendly and talkative six-year-old boy," says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). "Even though he is not the last born in the family, he looks like he is the youngest. The severe bowing of both of his legs has made him look shorter compared to his age mates." 6-year-old Israel is a young boy from Tanzania, and has developed genu valgus (knock-knees) due to fluorosis, or high concentrations of fluoride in drinking water. "Israel walks with difficulty. He walks as if he has a problem with his hips," AMHF adds. "He is unable to run around with friends and at times he feels left out when other children are busy playing outside and no one is willing to slow down for him to catch up." Treatment for Israel's condition will cost $940. This will improve his gait and allow him to walk and grow normally. “Just like the rest of my children who are able to walk to school, I wish that Israel can also walk to school without difficulties,” says Israel’s mother.

"Stella was burnt when a kerosene lamp fell on her in August last year," shares our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). "Her mother did not take her to a hospital and instead used traditional medicines to treat her burns. When a local pastor visited the home, he found Stella with the inner thighs joined by scar tissue. She could not pass urine." Stella is a 10-year-old girl from Kenya. She is the second born child in a family of five, and her mother works as a fruit vendor at their local market. Her father passed away, leaving Stella and her siblings in the care of their mother and grandfather. As a result of her incident, Stella has burn contractures in her lower abdomen and upper thighs. She has difficulty walking and maintaining a straight posture. “If surgery is not done, Stella is likely to develop back problems due to the constant bended posture she is in," says AMHF. For $1125, AMHF will perform a contracture release surgery that will subdue tension in Stella’s pelvic region and help it properly heal. Stella has already undergone a first surgery funded by a local church that released her thighs, however, her family is not able to raise the additional funds needed for this treatment. Stella shares: “I want to be a doctor when I finish school so that I can help the people in my village to receive care."

“I hope that my daughter’s fingers can be separated and straightened to allow her to use her hand properly,” shares Teyesi’s mother. Say hello to Teyesi, a one-year-old girl from Tanzania who is an only child. While running around at home a few months ago, Teyesi accidentally tripped and fell. “Her hand went right into a pot full of hot water,” our medical partner, African Medical Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), continues. “Teyesi suffered severe burns of which the wound healed but now she is left with a non-functional hand due to the contracture of her right fingers.” Teyesi’s parents keep livestock to support their family but due to disease, they have lost quite a few of them. “They badly need financial support so that their daughter can get the surgery which she needs,” explains AMHF. Together we can fund the $550 single contracture release treatment that Teyesi needs to repair her right hand. AMHF tells us that with this surgery, “Teyesi will have a functional hand.” Let’s support Teyesi and her family!

Meet Juana, a 14-year-old girl from Guatemala! “Juana is a Kaqchikel speaking young teenager from near Lake Atitlan in Guatemala," says our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). Unfortunately, “for the last 6 months, Juana has been experiencing severe debilitating seizure that are preventing her from going to school. She needs an urgent workup to determine the cause of the seizures and help her get her symptoms under control before they permanently affect her success in school,” WK explains. For $745, Juana will receive testing to determine the cause of her seizures, as well as proper treatment. “I love school and I want to get better so that I can get back to school and to my friends,” says Juana. Let’s help Juana get healthy and back to school!

“We want Kasosi to have the same opportunity like the rest of our children and for her not to feel neglected or left behind. She will be more independent if she can walk properly,” says Kasosi’s mother. Kasosi is a shy eight-year-old girl from Tanzania. Her parents and two older siblings love her very much and hope she will be able to walk the long distance to school. Kasosi has unilateral club foot, a deformity on her left foot. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) shares that if untreated, “she will be at risk of developing early osteoarthritis of the foot.” Her parents are small scale parents and strive to make sure their children get what they need, but cannot cover all the medical costs. With $1,160 Kasosi will be able to receive clubfoot surgery. AMHF says that with this treatment, “Kasosi will be able to walk properly, allowing her to continue with her education without problems.” Let’s work together and help Kasosi out!

Meet three-year-old Martin from Kenya. He is the only child to his young mother, who is also supported by her parents so she can care for her baby boy. Recently Martin had an accident and burned his left leg. "Martin’s mother had lit a kerosene lamp one day and placed it next to the bed where Martin was sleeping," our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. "She rushed to a nearby shop and when she returned she found that the lamp had fallen on the bed. Neighbors came in and assisted in putting out the blaze before rushing baby Martin to the hospital." The burn on Martin's leg is making it difficult for him to walk. But for $1125 surgeons at AMHF's hospital will be able to perform a contracture release surgery. "We expect that Martin will be able to walk well after the surgery and he will live a normal life," the AMHF team writes about expected outcomes for Martin if the procedure is performed. “I want my son to walk normally again," says Martin's mother hopefully. Let's turn her hope into a reality by funding Martin's care.

Meet Frantz, a four-month-old who lives in the Haitian countryside with his mother and grandmother. At three months, Frantz began to experience swelling in his head. It became apparent that he has hydrocephalus. Frantz's mother tells our medical partner, Medishare, that Frantz has lately been unable to breathe well, has seizures sometimes, cries often, and is unable to sleep at night. "In children, since the bones of the skull have not completely fused, the size of the head of the child starts getting bigger as the fluid accumulates in the brain," Frantz's doctors explain. "The negative effects of this are many and include – failure of the child to grow and lead an independent life and halting of neurological development because the brain does not function normally. Thus, if the child was learning to craw or walk, they stop." Recommended treatment for Frantz is a shunt replacement. This will reduce swelling and will in turn also address some of the other symptoms. $1260 will cover the cost of the surgery as well as meds and physiotherapy after the procedure. In spite of the discomfort she has seen her son in, Frantz's mother is optimistic: "I am excited to go back home with him and I am looking forward to sending him to school." Let's give her even more reason to be optimistic by funding care for Frantz.

"Lucia is in her last month of pregnancy," our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq in Guatemala, writes. "She has an unusual condition which occasionally complicates pregnancy. It causes severe itching and alterations in liver function. It also predisposes her to premature labor and, in some cases, severe respiratory distress in the newborn baby. For these reasons, Lucia needs extremely close monitoring through this month, frequent laboratory tests, ultrasound tests of the baby, and a closely monitored hospital birth to make sure everything turns out ok." Lucia's doctor, Peter Rohloff, adds, "This is Lucia's second baby. She's been very concerned because her first pregnancy was quite normal. However, she is really grateful for the support she's receiving, and she is thankful to Watsi donors (in advance) for helping her take care of herself and her new baby. She can't manage these medical costs on her own." To support Lucia, we're raising $525 to pay for Wuqu Kawoq's close monitoring of Lucia and her new baby. Regular tests and a safe birthing environment will help safeguard against any complications, ensure the normal functioning of Lucia's liver, and enable both Lucia and her family to live healthily and happily.

"I want to be a teacher," eight-year-old Felista said, "but the headaches make it hard for me to concentrate in school." The headaches Felista is experiencing are caused by a tumor in her skull that is putting pressure on her brain. Felista's family, who live in Kenya, are unable to pay for the necessary surgery that will remove the brain tumor. Felista's mother is a farm worker and her father is unemployed, and despite their best efforts, they cannot afford the surgery on their own. For $1,500, we can fund Felista's craniotomy, and she will likely no longer experience the headaches she has now. Felista dreams of a day when she will no longer experience these headaches and can begin working towards becoming a teacher. Let's get Felista the funding she and her family needs!

The field team at our medical partner in Guatemala, Wuqu’ Kawoq, recently brought one-year-old Lilian in for evaluation. Little Lilian has been losing weight and has not been growing as she should over the past few months and is very developmentally delayed. Lilian’s family is very poor, but they have tried to seek treatment for their daughter. Unfortunately they have not been able to understand the severity of her condition because of a language barrier with the local doctors. Now that she is in the hands of our medical partner, the team hopes to do an extensive laboratory assessment to develop an intensive nutritional therapy program for Lilian. With your support of $525, we can give Lilian a second chance at her young life. With proper treatment, Lilian’s energy will improve, her brain function will be preserved, and her growth can resume. Let’s help Lilian and her family get the care she needs!

"I want to get well so that I [can] continue with my farming instead of depending on people to feed me," Lucy shares with her doctors. Lucy is 53 years old and the proud mother of grown children. She also has uterine fibroids, which are causing her unbearable abdominal pain and bleeding. Without treatment, Lucy is at risk of severe anemia and continually decreasing quality of life. Lucy lost her husband four years ago and depends on subsistence farming for her livelihood. Due to her condition and the excessive pain that it causes, Lucy can no longer farm and now depends on others for her food. A total abdominal hysterectomy will cure Lucy's condition. However, neither Lucy nor her children can afford the cost of the surgery. For $885, we can help Lucy get back on her feet and ensure that this treatable condition does not lead to further complications!

Two years ago, little Albina fell into a pot of hot lentil soup and was seriously burned. Now, she is an active three-year-old girl who is having trouble eating because of the scar tissue that has built up on her hand. Albina has six siblings and her family are farmers in Nepal, so a corrective surgery is out of their reach. But Albina’s mother hopes that Albina can one day grow up to get a good education and work in a government organization. For $1,415, we can provide Albina with a burn contracture surgery to remove the scar tissue and a skin graft to correct the appearance and use of her hand. Let’s help give Albina a chance at a healthier life!