Meet Deap, a 64-year-old woman from Cambodia who has ten children and 20 grandchildren. She enjoys listening to the monks pray on the radio and visiting the pagoda. Two years ago, Deap developed a cataract in each eye. This cloudy build up of protein in her lenses causes her blurred vision and tearing. Although this condition is relatively simple to fix, many rural Cambodians do not have access to adequate medical treatment. Deap traveled three hours with her daughter to reach Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) for treatment. For $292, doctors will perform a phaco procedure to remove the cloudy lenses in her eyes. Then they will do an intraocular lens implant to replace those cloudy lenses with new, artificial ones. Soon after this short operation, Deap will be able to see clearly again.

"We hope he can improve and have good development so he can be a teacher when he's big," shared Baudillo's mother. Baudillo is 14 months old, and the youngest of seven children in his family. He lives with his parents and older siblings in a one room adobe house with a tin roof in Guatemala. He absolutely loves to play with his ball, which he hates to share with his older siblings. His mother works at home, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children. His father is a day laborer in the fields, making only a couple dollars per day when there’s work. Although his parents work hard, they do not have the resources to feed him even one vegetable, piece of fruit, or egg—the minimum that he needs to reach a healthy height and weight. Baudillo is suffering from malnutrition, meaning that he is much too small for his age. Not only has his physical grown been stunted, but his immune system lacks the fuel necessary to fight off common sicknesses such as coughs, diarrhea, and fevers, which can be life-threatening for a malnourished child like Baudillo. Unfortunately, malnutrition also decreases his appetite—further worsening the problem. If Baudillo does not receive treatment, he could face the consequences for the rest of his life—such as short stature as an adult, lower IQ, a harder time focusing, and have trouble in school--all making it more likely that he will have lower-paying job as an adult and have children who are also malnourished. For $512, Baudillo will receive growth monitoring, food supplements, and deworming medication which will help him grow, develop healthily both mentally and physically, and overcome malnutrition. His parents will receive nutrition education so they can learn how to best feed Baudillo, even with the little resources they have. If Baudillo receives treatment now, he will be able to have normal mental and physical development, giving him a better chance to be a successful student and to one day be qualified for a well-paying job. This treatment will give Baudillo a better chance of escaping the cycle of malnutrition and poverty.

Sainani is a farmer from Malawi's Central Region. He and his wife have seven children and six grandchildren. When Sainani isn't busy farming, he enjoys crafting and going to church. Nine months ago, Sainani started experiencing urinary symptoms related to an enlarged prostate. Benign prostatic hyperplasia causes the prostate to squeeze or partly block the urethra, leading to problems urinating. Until now, he has not been able to access medical treatment, and is feeling very excited that he will be able to receive surgery. He will undergo surgery to remove part of the prostate. The treatment will cost $742, and will greatly improve the urine flow through the urethra. His family is happy and has accepted that he will be undergoing an operation. He hopes to return home quickly so he can go back to work to provide for his family.

Walter, who is 10 years old, has been having seizures his whole life. He has also undergone a stroke and severe developmental delays that is likely due to an infection that he had as an infant. His body wastes several hundred calories each day having seizures, which are now much more under control than before, and this problem is complicated by the fact that his parents can't afford to give him the high-calorie and high-protein foods that he needs. Walter lives with his parents and older sister, who is his primary caregiver since his parents both work. His father works half day as a school janitor, and the other half of the day as a day laborer harvesting corn and squash. His mother works as a weaver, making traditional textiles to sell to help cover Walterr's medical costs. Even though they both want the best for their son, they lack the resources to give him the high-calorie food supplements and micronutrients he needs in order to gain weight and overcome his acute malnutrition. The few foods his parents can buy for him are hard for him to chew and swallow, making it impossible for him to gain weight. He has fallen into acute malnutrition, and his body is weak. He is at greater risk of getting sick, and diarrhea, respiratory illness and fevers can be life threatening for him in his weakened state. Growth monitoring, micronutrients and food supplementation will help Walter recover from malnutrition--saving his life now and putting him on track to live a better life in the future. He will gain weight, his immune system will grow stronger with the increased caloric intake, preventing him from having any life-threatening situations with diarrhea and fevers. This will further increase his appetite and help him use the extra calories to develop mentally instead of those calories being wasted on getting over frequent illnesses. His parents will receive the support they need to feel empowered to give Walter the diet he needs to grow and develop healthily. Intervention now will prevent the future devastating effects of malnutrition, and give Walter the chance to live a healthy and productive life, finish school, get a good job, and escape the cycle of malnutrition and poverty that made him sick in the first place. His sister shares, "I want for my brother to gain weight. I don't want for my brother to suffer."

Meet Sopha, a 17-year-old boy who lives in Cambodia with his two brothers and one sister. Sopha enjoys listening to music and playing football with his friends at school. Sopha began having ear discharge and hearing loss from his right ear when he was just two-years-old. Chronic otitis media-- inflammation of the middle ear-- caused his tympanic membrane to perforate and the ear discharge became a daily occurrence. This is painful and causes him tinnitus-- a ringing in the ear. After learning about Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) from a friend who had an eye operation there, Sopha traveled two hours with his mom to reach CSC for proper treatment. $399 will fund his myringoplasty, where doctors will repair the perforated tympanic membrane in his right ear. Sopha's discharge will stop, and over time his hearing can improve.

Joyce is a young, 32-year-old mother of three from Kenya. She lives in a single roomed house with her family in a slum outside of Nairobi. Her husband works at a construction site in Nairobi and this is where he gets money for the upkeep of his family. In December 2014, Joyce felt a lump on her breast and came to Kijabe hospital for a checkup. She was referred to a different facility for chemotherapy. Having finished the sessions, she now requires a mastectomy but is unable to raise the amount needed. During the chemotherapy sessions, Joyce used to walk from one place to another and would ask people to contribute to her treatment, and that is how she raised the funds to meet the cost. As she lives with cancer, Joyce has not been able to attend to her work as a beauty salonist consistently due to pain, and attending previous chemotheraphy sessions that caused her fatigue. If not treated, Joyce is at risk of having the cancer spread to other parts of her body, which might result in premature death. After treatment, the risk of cancer spreading to other parts of Joyce’s body will be lowered which might have caused death. Joyce will be able to attend to her work at the beauty salon and take care of her family. “I want to be free from cancer and have a long life so that I can raise my children," Joyce said.

Ganesh is a 20-year-old college student who lives with his parents in Nepal. Committed to helping his family financially, Ganesh works full-time at a stone factory while pursuing his bachelor’s degree in business administration. “Ganesh was working in the stone factory when he fell from a height of six feet and ended up fracturing his right arm,” our medical partner, Possible, tells us. “The area of injury has swollen considerably, and he is in a lot of pain.” The injury has not only impacted Ganesh’s ability to work and attend school, but it has also limited his day-to-day activities. “Ganesh has not been able to do even his basic activities like eating, getting dressed, or using the washroom on his own since the accident,” says Possible. Treatment for Ganesh is surgery in which his broken arm “will be aligned correctly and secured with the help of a plate to ensure it heals well,” explains Possible. $579 covers the cost of surgery for Ganesh as well as the costs of four nights in the hospital, X-rays, physiotherapy, medicine to relieve pain and prevent infection, and cast removal after his arm has healed. "I have a lot of responsibilities,” shares Ganesh. “I wish for my arm to be fixed soon so that I can go back to work once it heals.”

Meet Hla, a 43-year-old wife and mother from Burma. Early last year, Hla felt a mass in her abdomen gradually become bigger. At the time the pain did not bother her, so Hla used traditional medicine but with no noticeable improvement. This February, she decided to visit a clinic and an ultrasound identified a uterine mass. Hla lives with her husband and her niece’s family. Her children have all married and moved away. Her husband and niece’s family work as day laborers. Hla grows crops, including banana plants, coconut, and eggplant, and sells pigs to cover other expenses. Her family can sustain their food and other expenses, but do not have the ability to cover healthcare costs. Hla explains, “We are too poor to solve this health problem. It is very difficult in Burma because the health expenditures are so expensive.” Doctors with our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), have diagnosed the mass as non-cancerous. However, they have still recommended surgery to have the mass removed in order to avoid any other complications. $1,500 will cover the cost of the surgery Hla needs to remove the mass, the necessary medical supplies, and her hospital stay. BBP explains that, “following a successful surgery, Hla will be able to rejoin her family without having to worry about her health condition and the costs to her family. When she returns, she will also be able to contribute to the household income.” Hla shares, “I hope to get an operation as soon as possible. When I get well, I want to work and save money to help my family."

Flora is an 18-month-old girl from Tanzania, born on June 29th, 2014. She is the seventh and last child in her family. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), shares, “Although Flora has delayed to start walking, she is able to sit and she is now trying to crawl. She likes to play with soft dolls and toys that can make sounds.” AMHF reports, “When Flora was born, she was not able to pass stool the normal way and her mother did not notice because she was seeing some small amounts of stool together with urine.” Flora did not want to breastfeed and she vomited often. Seven days after she was born, Flora was taken to the hospital with a distended stomach. “After a thorough examination, Flora was found to have anorectal malformation,” a condition in which the anus is improperly formed and stool is unable to pass regularly from the body. Flora underwent an emergency colostomy- a surgical procedure in which an alternative route is created for stool to exit. However, she now requires a 3-stage surgery—posterior sagittal anorectoplasty (PSARP)—to reposition the anus and rectum. Later she will need a colostomy closure to seal off the alternative passageway created in her original surgery. Flora’s mother needs financial support to cover the $1,500 PSARP operation. Three months before Flora’s birth, her father passed away, leaving her mother’s small vegetable garden as the family’s source of income. AMHF explains, “Flora’s on and off sickness meant frequent medical bills which have been a huge burden for Flora’s mother.” While Flora and her mother are admitted for treatment, Flora’s eldest brother and sister are continuing the vegetable business. Though she continues to struggle with low appetite, frequent vomiting, and a resultant inability to gain weight, AMHF states that after her surgery, “Flora will have the ability to pass stool normally and regain her appetite hence, continue with normal growth.” “I just hope my baby will get well, have the ability to eat well, pass stool normally and continue with normal growth,” said Flora’s mother.

Carlos is a one-year-old boy who lives with his parents, grandparents, and older brother in Guatemala. He likes eating soup made from beans and eggs and enjoys playing with his toy ball. About two months ago, Carlos began having multiple seizures daily. Doctors at our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), diagnosed Carlos with epilepsy, a seizure disorder resulting from abnormal electrical activity in the brain. An estimated 65 million people in the world have epilepsy, and in most cases the cause is unknown. “Carlos is also a little low in both weight and height for his age,” explains WK. “Our staff believe anti-convulsion medication will also help him maintain those calories he has been expending while seizing, and will therefore help him gain some weight and grow better as well.” Carlos’s mother weaves blouses to sell at the market, but she has stopped leaving home for fear of Carlos having a seizure. The family must depend on the income his father earns from cutting and selling wood and working as a helper on a public bus. The family does not own any land and can barely afford their basic necessities, leaving no money to pay for Carlos’s care. For $967, Carlos will receive medication to control his seizures and blood work to identify other potential health issues. “He will start to gain some more weight, because he will be able to preserve the calories he is currently using during convulsions,” says WK. “His mother will not have to worry about working while he is around, because he will not be at risk for seizing often.” “My dream for the future is that he grows healthy and strong,” shares Carlos’s mother. “He is my reason to live.”

Deraritu is an 18-month-old baby girl from Ethiopia. She lives with her father and her grandparents, who work as farmers. She currently lives with an anorectal malformation that causes discomfort and difficulty passing stool. “Deraritu was born with no hole to pass stool,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). “She did not pass stool at birth and was presented to the local hospital with bowel obstruction. A colostomy was done as an emergency surgery when Deraitu was a few days old. Deraritu is waiting to undergo a corrective surgery, called anorectoplasty, for the chance to start a new life." $1,500 will cover the cost of Deraritu’s surgery -- a pull-through procedure, followed by a colostomy closure in 2-3 months which will allow her to pass stool normally. After surgery, she will have the chance to be healthy again. Let’s make this possible for Deraritu!

When Claudia was three years old, she began to regress developmentally, losing the ability to walk and talk. Claudia lives with her grandmother, but her grandmother has been unable to provide her with proper early nutrition. As a result, Claudia needs intensive nutritional rehabilitation and physical therapy to help her grow up healthy. Her doctor writes that she has been “immobile for so long that some of her joints are starting to contract and lose their flexibility.” Thanks to Wuqu’ Kawoq, we can ensure that Claudia will receive the best treatment Guatemala has to offer. They can help Claudia regain some of the abilities she's lost over the past few years. For $1,350, we can fund Claudia’s treatments so she can live her life to the fullest!