Esbon is a three-day-old baby and the fourth born in a family of four. His parents are both farmers, and also do casual jobs in order to sustain their lives and those of their children. Esbon's mother hopes that he gets well soon so they may go back home to be with her other children. Esbon was born with the umbilical cord tied around the calf muscle of his left lower limb, sustaining a wound around it that was deep. He was also born with a congenital condition of the feet, with missing digits in both lower limbs and the left upper limb. His mom is worried that he feels a lot of pain. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Esbon receive treatment. On March 10th, surgeons at their care center will perform a surgery to release the amniotic construction band with a skin graft. Now, their family needs help to fund this $1,478 procedure. Esbon's mother shared, "Kindly help my son so that he can be relieved from pain and be able to live normally in the future."

Emmanuel is a jovial boy who lives with his mother who is a housewife, and his stepfather who works as is a taxi motorbike rider. Emmanuel was brought to the our Medical Partner's Care Center Cure International Outreach Clinic by a social worker who found him under a tree, where he had been left after his step-father mistreated him. The social worker who helped Emmanuel works with a USAID-supported program that promotes better health by rescuing children who are physically impaired and mistreated by their parents, mostly in the Maasai area of Kenya and northern Tanzania. Emmanuel was born with clubfoot on both feet. Clubfoot is a congenital musculoskeletal malformation in which the foot is twisted out of shape. As a result, Emmanuel has difficulty walking and wearing shoes. Fortunately, Emmanuel has now come to AIC Cure International Hospital for treatment. On February 28th, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,286 to fund Emmanuel's clubfoot repair. After treatment, Emmanuel will be able to walk, put on shoes, and hopefully live a happier life. Emmanuel's social worker says, “Our desire is to see Emmanuel lively and happy, walking on his feet and joining school like other children.”

Benson is a twin two-year-old. His mom shared that Benson is a playful boy but a little shy and quiet compared to his twin brother who is more social and more talkative. Benson’s mother makes a living doing other people’s laundry while his father is a public transport driver commonly known as a “daladala” driver in Tanzania. Their income is not enough to provide for the family's needs and still cover Benson’s needed treatment cost. They are asking for help to support his medical care. Benson was diagnosed with bilateral genu varus. He and his brother were born healthy babies and their growth has been on track until they learned to walk. Benson’s mother started to notice that his legs were not straight as he started to crawl. He took a long time to learn to stand and walk compared to his twin. When he got on his feet and walked, his mother noticed that his legs were bowed outwards. Benson's mother had never taken him to any hospital for help or treatment, she thought he would eventually grow out of it but that has not been the case. His condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, his legs keep bowing outwards, making walking more difficult. One of Benson’s father’s friends advised his parents to seek treatment for him. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Benson. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 7th. Treatment will hopefully restore Benson's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Benson’s mother says, “I would love to see Benson walking normally like his brother but the treatment cost is too high for us.”

Sharlyn is a 6-year-old girl. She's the fifth and last born in her family. Her mother is a single parent who does farming to earn a living and provide for them. Together their family of 6 lives in a 3-roomed mud house in a village in rural Kenya. Sherlyn was born with a clubfoot on her right foot. She limps as she walks, feels pain because of straining, and cannot play with her friends while at school because of her condition. Fortunately, Sharlyn and mother traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on December 6th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,286 to fund Sharlyn's clubfoot repair. After treatment, she will be able to walk well, wear shoes and play with her friends. However, the family is appealing for financial assistance as they cannot manage to raise the funds needed for the surgery. Sharlyn's mother says, “I'd love to see my daughter walking like other girls. Any help meant to help her walk well will be very much appreciated."

Ann is a farmer and the mother of two children aged 10 and 5 years. They live in their ancestral home in Central Kenya. Ann and her husband are small-scale farmers growing food for home use. The couple does not have jobs and therefore has no source of income. They also don’t have a medical coverage and are required to pay for the treatment and surgery out-of-pocket, which they cannot afford. Two years ago, Ann began to experience troubling symptoms, including pain and discomfort. She was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Ann receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on November 10th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $949, and she and her family need help raising money. Ann says, "I have been feeling uncomfortable with this condition. It has been two years since I was diagnosed and there has been no improvement. I hope this surgery is a solution to my long-term problem."

Rebecca is a 27-year-old married mother of two children. She delivered both of her children via Caesarean section and now she is pregnant with her third child. She works as a teacher at a local school, but with schools closed due to the pandemic, she has been tutoring children at home to make ends meet. Her husband operates a motorcycle taxi business and the family lives in a single rental house. Rebecca has carried her third pregnancy to term and her doctor has recommended that she deliver her baby via C-Section. This will reduce the risk of uterine rupture and will ensure a safe delivery for her and her baby. The delivery is planned for September 22nd and now, she needs help to raise $252 to fund her procedure and care. Rebecca shared, "if am given your support, I will be relieved of my surgical cost and hope for a good delivery outcome."

Martha, a passionate mother of 7 and a widow, is farmer in Kenya. She is hardworking and enjoys doing her house chores. Martha cultivates crops on her two-acre ancestral property. She has no other source of income and relies upon her friends and relatives to support her livelihood. Martha has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Without treatment, the cancer may spread to other organs. A mastectomy, a surgery to remove breast tissue, has been suggested to rid her body of cancer and to prevent the cancer from metastasizing. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMH), is requesting $1110 to cover the cost of a mastectomy for Martha. The procedure is scheduled to take place on September 7th, 2021. After treatment, Martha will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Martha says, “I thought I would age peacefully and raise my children. They need me since they do not have their father. I hope this surgery helps me to get rid of the cancer and live a normal life.”

Clementina is a ten-year-old student and the youngest in a family of four children. She is a loving girl who enjoys playing with babies, especially her neighbours'. Her mother says she would wake up in the morning and ask right away for permission to go see her neighbour’s baby. She is also a hard-working girl. She helps her mother clean the house and cleaning dishes. She cleans her own clothes too sometimes. Clementina was born with spina bifida, a type of neural tube defect in which the spine does not properly close around the spinal cord. Without treatment, Clementina is at risk of lower-limb paralysis, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, development of tethered cord syndrome, and possible developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMH), is requesting $1,015 to cover the cost of Clementina's spina bifida closure surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on August 9th. This procedure will hopefully spare Clementina from the risks associated with her condition, instead allowing her to grow and develop along a healthy trajectory. Clementina’s mother says, "We never knew the condition needed treatment all these years. But we are thankful that she is able to stand and walk. She has been scheduled for surgery but the cost is too high for us to afford please help."

Kelvin is a 12-year-old boy and the youngest of nine children in his family. Two of his older siblings have already finished high school and are now married. His mother is a small-scale farmer who sells maize and beans. His parents separated a long time ago and his father does not support their family. They rely on help from their local church. Kelvin was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Kelvin will have an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, or fertility problems in the future. Kelvin is receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). He is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on June 8th and AMH is requesting $561 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Kelvin’s mother shared, “I am happy that one of my sons noticed this early enough, but at the same time I’m sad that I cannot afford to cater for his surgery. I am requesting any financial help that can help my son get treated.”

Samuel is a 25-year-old motorbike taxi driver from Kenya. His father is a carpenter and his mother runs a greengrocery in their hometown. On May 8th, Samuel was in a traffic accident that caused a serious fracture to his left ankle. Samuel is unable to walk on his own and is currently using crutches. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. On June 8th, Samuel will undergo a fracture repair procedure called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him walk easily again. Now, AMH is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Samuel shared, “I am in pain and cannot walk without the help of the crutches. The doctor said if I don’t get the surgery my leg will not be okay and can't work.”

Brandon is a one-week-old baby and has one older sibling. Brandon's parents are small scale farmers of maize and vegetables, and his father also has a motorbike that he uses to carry passengers to make a living to be able to support his family. Brandon was born with spina bifida, a type of neural tube defect in which the spine does not properly close around the spinal cord. Without treatment, Brandon is at risk of lower-limb paralysis, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, development of tethered cord syndrome, and possible developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,015 to cover the cost of Brandon's spina bifida closure surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on May 10th. This procedure will hopefully spare Brandon from the risks associated with his condition, instead allowing him to grow and develop along a healthy trajectory. Brandon’s mother says, "Please help treat our baby, we don’t have anywhere to ask for help and we cannot afford the cost."

Daw Mya is a 59-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her daughter, granddaughter, son, daughter-in-law, and grandson in Yangon, Burma. Daw Mya is currently too ill to work, but her daughter works as a seamstress in a factory. Her granddaughter goes to school, her son is a taxi driver, her daughter-in-law looks after their son at home. Her daughter and her son both help look after Daw Mya and try to support her as best they can. Daw Mya was diagnosed with a heart condition that involves a malformation of the mitral valve, the valve between the left atrium and left ventricle. This valve controls the flow of blood, but certain conditions may cause blood to flow backward or the valve to narrow. Currently, Daw Mya feels tired and experiences heart palpitations with chest pain. She has no appetite and cannot sleep well at night, and both of her legs are swollen. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund a mitral valve replacement for Daw Mya. The treatment is scheduled to take place on February 21st and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably. Daw Mya said, “I want to get better soon so that I can help my family. I want to help them because my daughter-in-law is always looking after me and her child [my grandson], so she cannot work. If I can look after the household chores and take care of the family, they can go to work and earn more income for our family. I cannot go anywhere because of my condition. They always take care of me and they spend too much of their money on me.”