Mekides is a 2-year-old toddler and the youngest of four who lives with her family in Ethiopia. Her father is a traditional farmer, while her mother is a homemaker. She loves milk, playing ball, and laughing with her mom and dad. She feels so happy when her dad brings home a new pair of shoes and a dress for her. Mekides was born with a birth defect called Hirschprung disease. She has an abnormally functioning segment of her bowel. This condition has been a struggle for the family to cope with. Mekides previously underwent a colostomy creation and now needs a colonic pull-through, where the diseased section of her intestine will be removed and the healthy portion will be pulled down. Doctors with our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) will perform this surgery on July 25th and are requesting $1,500 to fully fund the procedure. This surgery will help Mekides thrive with the other children in her village. Mekides' dad said “After her treatment, I believe she will heal. I will not give her the duty to do labour work as other girls have in my area. But I will educate her. I will work hard to upgrade her life and give her a quality life. I gave her to God, believing God will lead her to a better future.”

Gladness is a 5-year-old smart and vibrant girl who enjoys interacting with all kinds of different people. She is the firstborn in a family of two children, and her parents make a living by selling thrift clothes and shoes in Arusha city. Gladness has faced significant health challenges since she was one year old. During playtime she tripped and fell, resulting in an injury to her leg. Her father promptly took her to the hospital, where they received ointment to massage the affected area. Unfortunately, two years later, she had another accident that dislocated her right knee. It was during this hospital visit that the medical professionals discovered a previous, untreated fracture from her first accident, which has caused other problems. Gladness and her father traveled over 180 kilometers to the medical center and our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) is requesting $880 to fund her surgery, which is scheduled for June 27th. Treatment will hopefully restore Gladness's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Gladness’s father shared, "I hope this treatment will help my daughter. I wish for her to grow up without any abnormalities."

Sefas is a small-scale farmer and mother to 4 children. She lost her husband in 2000, but managed to raise her children through small-scale farming. She grows food crops on her small piece of land. Sefas also keeps a cow and earns supplemental income by selling the milk. Despite facing challenges and myths surrounding girls' education in her generation, Sefas was determined to complete primary school. However, her parents were unable to support her further education and she was forced to drop out. Now two of her sons are teachers, and both of her daughters are tailors. For the past six months, Sefas has been experiencing bleeding, causing her to develop anemia. She also experiences severe lower abdominal pain and backaches. She has a history of blood transfusions and was recommended for surgery but could not afford the cost of the treatment. As the pain worsened, she was brought to the hospital again. She has been diagnosed with premalignant cervical lesion. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $219 to fund Sefas's surgery. On December 16th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Sefas will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Sefas says, "My health has always been good until recently when this illness took over my life. I trust that with your support, I will be able to receive treatment and get well."

Mbula is a young girl from Tanzania. She has one sibling and lives with her family in a remote area far from the city; it’s hard for them to access basic social services. Mbula is raised by two loving parents who are farmers. They depend on their harvest to provide for their family. With the recent years' weather changing and droughts, it has been hard for them because they cannot depend on the rainy season for agriculture. This has made it difficult to sustain food at home. Mbula was diagnosed with genu varus, which causes her legs to bow outward. 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 has difficulty walking and running.. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is asking for $880 to fund corrective surgery for Mbula. The procedure is scheduled to take place on December 2nd. Treatment will hopefully restore Mbula's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Mbula’s mother says, “I feel sorry for my daughter, she has to go through pain almost every day.”

Dortensley is a 14-month-old baby from Haiti who is loved and cared for by his mother. Dortensley has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases pressure within the skull. As a result of his condition, Dortensley's head grew beyond his expected development and he experiences seizures. Without treatment, Dortensley will experience severe physical and developmental delays. On November 9th, Dortensley will undergo surgery at the care center of our medical partner, Project Medishare. Surgeons will place a shunt to drain the excess fluid from Dortensley's brain to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. Upon recovery, Dortensley should develop into a strong, healthy young boy. Project Medishare is currently the only site in the country to offer this critical care and is requesting $957 to help fund Dortensley's procedure. Dortensley's mother shared that she could not afford surgery for her child, but is now feeling hopeful. She said: "There is a God after all. God bless everyone that is helping my child."

Som Ath is a 72-year-old retired soldier. He has four sons, five daughters, and many grandchildren. Som Ath lives with his eldest son who is in the military. Nowadays, Som Ath stays at home and takes care of his grandchildren. In his free time, he likes to listen to the news on the radio. Two years ago, Som Ath developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him blurry vision and sensitivity to light. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Som Ath learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On October 19th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Som Ath shared, "I hope my eye can see clearly again so I can teach my grandchildren how to read and write, and help them do their homework after school."

Lai Houy is a cheerful, 69-year-old mother who has one son who works near the Cambodian-Thai border. Lai Houy currently lives with her niece who sells palm sugar. She enjoys listening to the monks pray on the radio. Five years ago, Lai Houy developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her light sensitivity and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Lai Houy learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On July 21st, doctors will perform a cataract surgery and lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, CSC is requesting $229 to help fund this procedure. Lai Houy shares her hopes to be independent again, "I hope my eye can see well after surgery so I can help my niece do housework, cook, take care of my grandchildren, and go back to visit the pagoda by myself."

Chamroeun is a 55-year-old rice farmer with one daughter, five sons, and two grandchildren. He currently lives with his wife, a vegetable seller at the market. In his free time, Chamroeun enjoys listening to the news on the radio. Three years ago, Chamroeun developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him blurry vision and photophobia. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Chamroeun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for one hour seeking treatment. On July 22nd, doctors will perform a cataract surgery and lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, Chamroeun will be able to see clearly. Now, CSC is requesting $229 to fund this procedure. Chamroeun shares, "I hope I can plant rice like before and help my wife sell vegetables at the market."

Nshemereirwe is a mother of 9, and shared with us that she lost her first born at 14 years. Her youngest is now 20 years old and in primary school class seven, even at that age she shared. Her third born is the only one who reached the highest class, secondary school class four and is currently a casual laborer in their village. Nshemereirwe gets only a little support from her children and relatives. She is a small-scale farmer along with her husband. They own a three-room semi-permanent house for shelter. During her free time, she enjoys visiting her relatives. About 20 years ago, Nshemereirwe began to experience troubling symptoms, including shortness of breath and high blood pressure. She was diagnosed with a goitre and needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Nshemereirwe receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on September 3rd at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $293, and Nshemereirwe and her family need your support. Nshemereirwe told us, “I pray that I may be considered for treatment. After treatment, I believe I will be able to comfortably continue with farming and be able to sustain and take good care of my family as before, through hard work.”

Chamroeun is a 53-year-old mint and rice farmer from Cambodia. Chamroeun has two sons, eight daughters, and twelve grandchildren - all his children are now married. His wife is also a rice farmer. When he's not farming, he shared that he enjoys planting vegetables at his home and listening to news on the radio. Five years ago, Chamroeun developed a pterygium in his right eye, causing him feel irritation, burning, blurry vision, and tearing. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Chamroeun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for five and a half hours seeking treatment. Chamroeun needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of his procedure is $216. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for November 9th. Chamroeun told us, "I hope that after surgery my eye irritation will stop and I can easily recognize things well. I would like to read books and plant rice and mint without any worry."

Savoeun is a 38-year-old mother of five from Cambodia. She has three sons, two daughters, and enjoys watching television, taking care of her children, and feeding the animals nearby the house. In February of 2017, Savoeun was is a motorcycle accident and fractured her right leg. She received initial treatment at a local hospital, but she still experiences pain and she is unable to walk easily. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On December 10th, Savoeun will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $430. Surgery will internally fixate new hardware and relieve any pain and discomfort caused by the initial fracture treatment. "I hope that I will be able to walk easily again without any crutches, and I will no longer have any pain and can return to work," she shared.

Ret is a 68-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She has one brother and one sister. Ret enjoys listening to the news and the monks pray on the radio. She also likes watching Khmer dramas on TV. Two years ago, Ret developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her vision loss. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Ret learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On April 28th, 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. "I hope that my aunt's eye will recover well so she can return to rice field, plant crops, as well as join ceremonies at the pagoda again," Ret's niece said.