“I really hope to be well and be able to reach my dream of being a grocery supplier and be able to take care of my family,” says Wilkister, filled with hope. Meet Wilkister, a 34-year-old single mother of three from Kenya. Recently, Wilkister accidentally fell and fractured her tibia. She was admitted to a local hospital and a surgeon recommended an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), a type of surgery used to fix broken bones. She is experiencing pain and difficulty walking and, if not treated, there is risk for malunion of the bone and obstruction of an artery by a blood clot or air bubble as the broken bone moves around. Wilkister has a small business selling groceries in her village but her income is not enough to sustain her three children and pay for her surgery. “We expect after surgery, the bones will unite. Wilkister will be able to walk again,” describe our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. “She will be able to work and take care of her children.” With $1,125, Wilkister can receive the surgery that will allow her to walk again. With your help, Wilkister has the opportunity to return to a fulfilling and productive life!

Jane is a loving 39-year old Kenyan woman from a small town near Nairobi. Upon experiencing bleeding, discomfort, and weight loss, Jane traveled to the hospital to consult with physicians. Through a cancer screening, Jane was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Jane works as a casual laborer and cannot afford this vital procedure on her own. Jane is a single mother of five children, but her painful condition has left her unable to take care of her family. Jane’s doctor has advised her to have a total abdominal hysterectomy in order to avoid the spread to other organs. Africa Mission Healthcare Foundation is asking $750 for the procedure, with which Jane hopes to fully regain her health and continue tending to her children.

Catherine is a newborn baby who was born a few days ago to proud first-time parents in Uganda. Catherine was born with encephalocele, a rare condition that causes abnormal swelling at the back of her head. If left untreated, Catherine could grow up with developmental delays, paralysis, and other debilitating symptoms. Surgery at infancy is the only effective treatment for encephalocele. Immediately after Catherine’s birth, the delivering doctors insisted her parents take her to be seen at CURE. Catherine’s parents dutifully brought their daughter to CURE’s hospital, where surgeons believe that with treatment, there’s a good chance she can develop normally. Most people in Uganda live on less than $2 a day. The surgery Catherine needs costs $1500 – an unimaginable expense for her parents. We hope to cover the total cost of Catherine’s care at CURE and give her a chance at a normal, healthy life.

Charity is a 23-year-old woman who fractured her ankle when she slipped on an avocado peel six months ago. As a result of the injury, Charity experiences severe pain and swelling and is unable to walk without crutches. Fortunately, doctors at African Mission Healthcare Foundation can operate to fix Charity’s ankle. With surgery, they’re confident they can stop the swelling, alleviate her pain, and enable Charity to walk. Charity is the mother of a 2-month-old baby girl. She lives in a small village with her husband, John. Due to lack of finances, both Charity and John only studied through the 8th grade. When Charity broke her ankle, she and John used their entire savings to seek medical attention. But when a doctor told her she needed surgery, she and John went home helpless. John does construction work but doesn’t make enough money to pay for Charity’s medical care. Charity currently stays home with their daughter but struggles to do simple things, like carry the baby, because of her injury. It breaks Charity’s heart that because of her medical expenses, she has not been able to buy any clothes for her baby and has had to rely on donations from friends. We hope to cover the cost of Charity's treatment and enable her to be the active, healthy mother she wants to be.

Jasmin is a 3-year-old girl from Nepal with a congenital heart defect. Because of her condition, Jasmin has difficulty breathing and suffers from prolonged coughing and frequent fevers. Without treatment, Jasmin will continue to suffer from these symptoms and it is unlikely that she’ll ever be able to live a normal life. Luckily, Jasmin’s condition is treatable. With surgery, there is a good chance that she will go on to enjoy an active, healthy life. Jasmin loves to play, sing, and dance with her friends. She lives with her father, mother, and 7-month-old baby brother. Her father is completing his Bachelor’s degree and her mother is a temporary teacher at a government primary school. Her parents worry constantly about their daughter and hope that she will be fine after surgery. Her father says he hopes she will be a teacher one day. Let’s help Jasmin get the medical care she needs to live a full life!

Marta is a 43-year-old wife and mother with with papillary thyroid cancer. Her doctors are confident that her cancer can be cured with surgery and radiation therapy. Without treatment, Marta could face debilitating symptoms that would prevent her from living a normal life. Marta has a loving husband and a 3-year-old son she adores. She came to the doctor when she noticed a lump growing on her neck. A biopsy immediately showed that the lump was cancerous. As with most indigenous people in Guatemala, cancer care is completely unaffordable for Marta. She needs our help to cover the cost of surgery, radiation, and travel. Let’s take care of Marta’s medical costs so she can go back to living her life!

For the past eight years, Cheru has suffered from mitral stenosis, a condition that severely narrows his heart’s mitral valve and backs up blood into his lungs. He used to sell goods at the Gurage market in Ethiopia, but his weakening heart forced him to quit his job. If left untreated, Cheru’s condition could result in heart failure. Fortunately, Cheru’s condition is treatable. However, he needs to fly to India to receive a Percutaneous Transvenous Mitral Commissurotomy (a nonsurgical technique for the treatment of patients with symptomatic mitral stenosis). A Bollywood aficionado and avid Manchester United fan, Cheru is usually in good spirits and tries his best to cheer up other heart patients. Still, it is bittersweet for Cheru to see his healthy friends get married and start families: He wants to start a family of his own, but he now spends most days laying in bed. And since he’s had to spend his life savings on medical bills, he’s worried that he won’t have enough money to support a family. Cheru hopes we will be able to raise the money for his treatment in India. He can’t wait to return to his job at the market and one day, start a family. Let’s get Cheru the treatment he needs to thrive!