Brian, a 35-year-old Kenyan man, came to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), seeking treatment for a leg injury sustained earlier this year in a hit-and-run accident involving a motorcycle. “Since then,” explains AMHF, “he is unable to work and relies solely on his family.” Brian’s condition, chronic osteomyelitis of the right tibia, is an infection of his lower leg bone resulting from his injury. Typical symptoms include recurring pain, redness, swelling, and bone loss. Currently, “Brian is experiencing pain and inability to use his right leg,” AMHF tells us. “If not treated, Brian is at risk of pathological fracture of the tibia.” Treatment of osteomyelitis is a surgical technique to regenerate bone lost as a result of the infection. In this technique—known as bone transport—an orthopedic surgeon breaks the involved bone and attaches the bone fragments to an external fixation device. As the fracture begins to heal, the external fixator is adjusted to pull the healing fracture apart approximately one millimeter per day. Separating the fragments in this manner promotes bone growth and results in the restoration of the lost bone over time. After the accident, Brian was treated surgically, but the procedure was unsuccessful, and he cannot pay for the additional surgery that he needs. $1,500 in funding pays for the bone transport surgery as well as 12 days of hospital care, antibiotic therapy, and physiotherapy. Brian’s family has saved $110 to cover additional costs associated with his care. “We expect after a bone transport, Brian's leg will heal,” shares AMHF. “He will be able to use his leg again. Brian will be able to work.” "I had planned to marry and provide for my family before this accident,” says Brian. “I really hope I will be able to do that after this surgery.”

“I am hopeful that my daughter will get well soon. That is my deepest prayer right now,” shares Blessing’s mother. Blessing is a six-month-old baby girl from Kenya who lives with her parents and older sibling. Her parents are both trained teachers but her mother is currently unemployed. Blessing has hydrocephalus—a condition in which a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain causes one’s head to increase abnormally in size and eyes to fix downward. According to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), Blessing is irritable and drowsy and “if not treated, she is likely to have delayed milestones.” AMHF continues, “The accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid will keep increasing Blessing’s intracranial pressure which may result in brain damage. She is also at risk of becoming visually impaired.” The family relies on Blessing’s father’s income from teaching, but they have been unable to raise the funds needed for Blessing’s treatment. For $980, AMHF will be able to provide Blessing with hydrocephalus shunting, which will drain her brain of the excess fluid. This treatment is expected to help stabilize the high pressure in Blessing’s head and reduce the chances of brain damage, blindness, and death. Let’s help Blessing get healthy!

“Wema is a shy, ten-year-old girl,” shares our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). “She is in class three, but has stopped going to school because it is impossible for her to sit.” AMHF explains, “Wema has a cystic mass on her lower back, which causes her severe pain and impairs her ability to walk properly, sit, or sleep on her back. If the mass goes untreated, Wema could contract a fatal infection.” Before it became too painful for her to attend schools, Wema’s favorite subjects were mathematics, English, and Swahili. Wema also enjoys playing games with her classmates. AMHF tells us, “Wema’s father grows vegetables and her mother sells them at an open market. Both parents work very hard to take care of their four children all of whom are going to school. With the pressure of keeping four children in school, it is difficult for the family to raise extra funds to get treatment for Wema’s condition.” With $920 in funding, we can help Wema and her family travel to a treatment center where doctors will remove the mass. With this surgery, Wema will be pain free and able to return to school. Wema tells us, “My hope is to one day become a primary school teacher.”

Meet Florence, a 46-year-old wife and mother of five children from Kenya. Florence lives with her husband and children in a rural Kenyan village. While Florence takes care of the children at home, “her husband and first born son work in a butchery,” shares our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). According to AMHF, over the past year and a half Florence has experienced “lower abdominal pain, discomfort and difficulty in passing urine.” Florence and her husband visited several hospitals hoping for successful treatment, but her condition was never properly diagnosed. After each hospital visit, Florence would be prescribed medicine only to have her symptoms reappear shortly thereafter. Eventually, “a CT scan revealed that Florence has adenomyosis” — a typically benign condition that is diagnosed mainly among middle-aged women. The condition occurs when the innermost part of the uterus, the endometrium, extends into the muscular wall of the uterus. Despite having moved into the muscular wall, the endometrial tissue continues to act as it did before being displaced, which usually results in an enlarged uterus and abdominal discomfort, as is the case with Florence. To treat her adenomyosis, $790 will cover all of the necessary costs for Florence to receive a total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH). This operation will remove her uterus and cervix, ensuring that the problem will not return in the future. The total cost of treatment also includes five days of hospital care and the necessary laboratory tests for a successful surgery. “We expect that a TAH for Florence shall alleviate her of the chronic pain she currently experiences," adds AMHF. Relieved by the prospect of receiving treatment, Florence shares, “This problem has made my life very difficult. I hope the operation will be successful so that I can continue serving my family.”

Meet Sainrigene, a 39-year-old father of six from Haiti. Recently, while walking home from church with his family, Sainrigene was attacked by a man on the street. "Sainrigene's nephew was under threat of a man in possession of a machete," shares our medical partner, Project Medishare (PM). "When he tried to intervene, the machete holder hit Sainrigene on his mouth and cut out the most part of it including his gum plus his teeth, causing a big facial laceration." "Since then, Sainrigene became unable to speak, eat and cannot drink anything," PM continues. "He is only fed through [an IV]." Sainrigene needs surgery to repair the severe facial laceration. Before he was injured, Sainrigene supported his family with the profits of his small farm. He loves going to church and is the second maestro of a men's choir. He has many friends who have fundraised for his treatment, but have been unable to raise the full amount. "His friends brought him to the hospital but they could not even pay for him to receive primary care," PM says. "They have done their best trying to reach his family to pay for the surgery but none of them could find a way to get money. They even tried to sell stuff they have, but [there was] no one to buy." $1,500 will fund Sainrigene’s reconstructive surgery, as well as his weeklong hospital stay. "Surgery will be performed to reattach the mouth of Sainrigene, after the surgery he will be soon able to eat, drink, speak, save his mouth and his face," PM says. "We are praying for him to save his mouth and what you are doing for us is unbelievable," his friends say to Watsi donors. "We've almost lost faith because nobody answered us to help Sainrigene pay for the surgery. We are excited to go back with him with good results, his mouth reattached."

Meet James! James is a six-year-old boy from Kenya. "James lives with his father and younger sister who he is very fond of," says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). "The family resides in a single room house. His mother passed away just over a month ago due to pregnancy-related complications. James' father is a subsistence farmer with no external source of income." When James was born, his right testicle did not drop into the scrotal sac. He is thus at a higher risk of developing testicular cancer and a hernia as he grows. He is also at risk of infertility down the line. He needs a single orchidopexy to move the testicle to its correct place -- a surgery that will cost $540. "James' father is worried because he cannot raise funds needed for his son’s surgical care," says AMHF. Let's help James and his family, and fund this important treatment! James will grow up with a lower risk of cancer, hernia, and infertility in the future.

"Daudi is the 11th born in a family of twelve children," says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). "He lives with his family in the coastal region of Kenya. He was enrolled in school (class two) but dropped out of school in 2014 due to persistent headaches. In May 2015, he lost his ability to walk and he has to be assisted to move about." Daudi, a nine-year-old boy from Kenya, was subsequently diagnosed with a brain tumor. "Daudi is at a high risk of intra-cranial pressure, which may cause brain damage or death," AMHF continues. "It can lead to decreased cardiac respiratory function, and eventually loss of consciousness. In addition, the tumor can also result to visual impairment if not treated and may not regain his walking ability." For $1260, Daudi can undergo a craniotomy to remove the tumor. His mother is a farmer and his father is older, and cannot work. Together they are unable to raise the funds for their son's treatment. “It has been a difficult few years watching our son lose most of his functionalities and drop out of school," shares Daudi’s mother. "I pray that he gets well." Let's support Daudi and his family, and help this young boy heal.