“I pray for my hand to heal. I am in pain most of the time and I can’t do anything with my right hand. I want go back to school,” says Shangwe. Meet Shangwe, a six-year-old boy from Tanzania who has a burn wound on his right arm after accidentally catching his sleeve on fire. “Shangwe’s mother covered her son’s head with a kanga which came all the way to his knees,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), describes. “As he was seated in the kitchen watching his mother preparing tea, he decided to help his mother push in a piece of burning wood. When Shangwe bent down to push in the piece of wood, the kanga and his sleeve caught fire. By the time he got help, he had already sustained severe burns.” If left untreated, he may develop a contracture, permanently shortening the muscles that were burned. Shangwe is the sixth of seven children in his family. “Despite his condition, he is a happy boy,” reports AMHF. Shangwe’s parents are cattle farmers. “The little that Shangwe’s parents get from livestock keeping is not enough to cover their basic needs as well as pay for the surgery Shangwe needs,” continues AMHF. For $780, we can fund a skin graft for Shangwe so he can return to being a happy, healthy child. “The wound on Shangwe’s arm will heal, preventing him from developing a contracture which would have hindered him from doing daily activities,” AMHF concludes.

“Edwin is so happy all the time, I just want him to grow and be healthy,” Edwin’s mom tells us. Edwin is a four-year-old boy living in Guatemala. He has Down’s syndrome, a genetic disorder that results from an extra copy of chromosome 21. This condition causes delays in physical growth, as well as cognitive effects. “He is not growing well, and he has very limited motor and speech capabilities,” our partners at the Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK) medical center explain. “He needs physical and speech therapy so that he can gain these abilities, and he needs a thorough medical workup to rule out and treat the common causes of growth failure in Down’s syndrome, such as problems with the thyroid gland.” "With therapy, Edwin will begin to gain language and motor milestones, and he’ll be able to learn to help around the house and help with his own care. His social interactions will improve and, hopefully, he’ll be able to go to school as a result," WK continues. Edwin’s mother is raising him as a single mom, and it is often difficult for her to make ends meet. She is so excited about the prospect of seeing Edwin benefit from the therapy that WK can provide. For $1,385 we can fund this life changing therapy for Edwin and his mother – let's do it!

"I am glad that I have finally found a place for my son’s treatment. I look forward to a successful surgery, and am thankful for any support towards my son’s treatment,” says the mother of Boniface, a five-month-old baby boy living in Kenya. Boniface has spina bifida, a mass on his lower back from improper formation of the spine. Boniface is supported by his mother and grandparents, but they have been unable to raise the money necessary for his treatment. If left untreated, Boniface is likely to get an infection or develop tethered cord, which will limit the movement of his spinal cord. With $805, our medical partner African Mission Healthcare Foundation will be able to provide Boniface with spina bifida closure surgery, which will prevent infection and development of tethered cord. Together we can make it happen!