Crecious is three years old and the first child to his mother. His mother describes him as a happy child who is always playing. As Crecious started to grow, his mother noticed that he wasn’t able to walk very well and would often fall over. They traveled to Arusha to seek treatment at our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre (ALMC). Crecious's legs have bowed outwards, so he was diagnosed with genu varus. Crecious's mother has high hopes for her son, but she only makes a small amount of money as a primary school teacher. She needs help to pay for his treatment. On January 19, Crecious will undergo corrective surgery for his legs. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, requests $940 to fund his treatment. Crecious’s mother says, "I hope that my son with be able to grow, play, and go to school like other children after his surgery. "

Meet Melany, a 20-month-old baby from Guatemala. Melany is the youngest of three children in her family and lives with her parents in a one-room adobe house with a tin roof. She enjoys playing with her dolls and her stuffed animals. Her mother works at home, cooks, cleans, and takes care of the children. Her father is a day laborer in the fields, who makes only a couple dollars per day. Due to malnutrition, Melany is below the average height and the average weight for her age. She currently is not consuming enough calories and enough quality foods. As a result her physical growth is stunted, and we worry her mental growth will be stunted as well. As a result of food insecurity and marginalization, indigenous Guatemalan villages have the highest rates of stunting in the world. In addition to growth stunting, malnutrition can lead to lower IQ, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. $512 will fund the treatment Melany needs to address her nutritional deficit and improve her low energy and subsequent limited mental potential. This involves micronutrient and food supplementation, deworming medication to rid Melany of a parasitic infection, and nutrition education for her parents. With these combined efforts, Melany will recoup her weight and height and strengthen her immune system, laying the foundation for a healthier future.

“We hope that our son can study and one day become a teacher,” shares the mother of 6-month-old Kevin. Kevin lives with his older brother and parents in a one-room cinderblock house in Guatemala. His mother works at home, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of Kevin and his brother. His father works as an assistant bricklayer, building houses and churches in nearby communities. Although Kevin’s parents want the best for their son, they do not have the resources to feed him even one vegetable, piece of fruit, or egg—the minimum that he needs to be able to overcome malnutrition. Kevin's mother noticed that her son is not growing well and is underweight, but did not realize that she was supposed to start feeding her son complementary foods. Subsequently, his current diet lacks protein, calories, and nutrients. If he does not receive treatment, Kevin could face the consequences of malnutrition for the rest of his life—he could have a low IQ, trouble focusing in school, and a greater risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension as an adult. All these consequences make it less likely he will have a well-paying job as an adult, meaning the cycle of poverty and malnutrition would continue if he decides to have kids. Growth monitoring, micronutrient and food supplementation, and deworming medication will help Kevin recover from malnutrition. He will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children his age. His immune system will grow stronger with the increased caloric intake. This will further increase his appetite and help him use the extra calories to gain motor skills and learn new words instead of those calories being wasted on getting over frequent illnesses. In addition to Kevin's treatment, his mother will receive the support she need to feel empowered to give Kevin the diet he needs to grow and develop healthily, even with limited resources. Intervention now will give Kevin the chance to live a healthy and productive life and escape the cycle of malnutrition and poverty that made him sick in the first place.

“Sometimes my daughter asks me what’s wrong with her arm and I feel so upset. I don’t know what to say,” says the mother of Hnin, a five-year-old girl from Burma suffering from a contracture of her arm. Normally elastic, the muscles in Hnin’s index finger, wrist and elbow have become tight and rigid—making it impossible for Hnin to bend her arm properly. It is difficult for her to perform everyday activities like getting dressed or playing with friends. Our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), explains: The contractures are an unexpected side effect of a previous operation Hnin underwent when she was just a few months old, in which doctors made “an incision from underneath her armpit to the tip of her index finger” to reduce intense swelling of Hnin’s arm. As an active child who wants to attend school, “Hnin follows the other children to school and stands outside looking in. Sometimes my daughter’s friends ask her what happened to her arm, and they play doctors, pretending to cut the contraction,” shares BBP. Hnin’s mother and father work as agricultural day laborers, farming corn and beans. They were forced to work full-time to cover the expenses associated with Hnin’s previous surgery, so Hnin lives with her grandmother. “However, their work is irregular and the family earns enough to cover daily expenses, but they don’t have savings or money to pay for Hnin’s healthcare,” adds BBP. After borrowing money for Hnin’s previous surgery at 20% interest, “the interest quickly accumulated and the couple had trouble paying it off.” With the support of Hnin’s make-believe doctor pals, Watsi donors, and physicians at BBP’s Mae Tao Clinic in Thailand, Hnin’s treatment and recovery can be made possible. $1,500 in Watsi funding, along with $1,585 in subsidies from BBP, will cover a contracture release surgery for Hnin, in which doctors will make incisions in her arm to remove the abnormal tissue. BBP predicts, “Following treatment it is hoped that Hnin will have full use of her arm and will then be able to attend school in Burma with her friends.” Her mother is looking forward to moving back to Burma to live with her daughter as soon as possible. Let’s help this adorable five-year-old regain use of her arm so she can live a normal childhood!

"I hope I can go back to work to take care of my wife and daughter," says Sarath, a 36-year-old farmer living in Cambodia. Our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), tells us that in his free time, Sarath enjoys listening to news channels on the radio. Last February, Sarath was in a motorcycle accident. CSC explains that Sarath’s accident led to the development of osteomyelitis in his left leg--causing infection and inflammation. For the past eight months, Sarath has been experiencing severe pain that causes him difficulty in walking. If untreated, Sarath’s condition will worsen, preventing him from returning to work. With $405, Sarath will receive an open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) procedure to treat his infected leg. In addition to surgery, the total cost of treatment a two week hospital stay and six post-surgical check-ups. “Sarath’s bones will be re-aligned and free of infection. This will prevent his infection from worsening and allow him to walk without pain again,” CSC says. CSC shares Sarath’s wish to "walk properly again and not be in pain.”

Tha Moe is a one-year-old baby boy in Burma who lives with his parents and six-year-old sister. He was born at home as a seemingly healthy baby, but his mother noticed a growing small mass near the base of his spine. A couple days after Tha Moe was born, his mother took him to the local clinic. Doctors diagnosed him with a meningocele, a birth defect where the spinal cord doesn’t develop properly. Our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP) shares, “Tha Moe feeds well but because of the mass he is unable to lie down on his back and he can only sleep on one side. He can sit and he knows the sensations of his upper body but his mother says he cannot feel his right leg.” Because of the time his mother has to spend caring for Tha Moe at the clinic, she finds it difficult to do household chores and relies on Tha Moe’s grandmother to take care of his sister when she is not in school. Tha Moe’s father finds sporadic work as a day laborer, and the family can’t afford to pay the medical expenses for his operation. $1,500 will fund the procedure to repair Tha Moe’s meningocele. “It is hoped that following the meningocele repair that Tha Moe will grow and thrive," BBP adds. "His parents will be able to stop worrying about his condition.”

Omary is a soft spoken, 17-year-old boy living in Tanzania. He likes to play football, and "used to be very competitive before his bones got weak," shares our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Omary's knees gradually started to bend inwards when he was in class seven. Omary has bilateral genu valgus, which means his knee joints and femurs are misaligned. "This condition has affected Omary’s gait and he is at risk of developing osteoarthritis at a young age if not treated…for years, his parents have tried to look for ways to help their son, but nothing helped," AMHF says. With $940, Omary can undergo an operation that will combine casting and surgery to realign his bones and joint, straighten his legs, improve his gait, and reduce the risk of developing early osteoarthritis. Currently, Omary helps his parents with farm work and herding cattle as much as he can, but he hopes the surgery will allow him to keep playing football, and pursue his desire to join the army.

Meet Francis, a 13-year-old boy from Kenya. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), says, “Francis is the fourth born in a family of seven and all of his siblings are in school, where Francis is in class five.” Francis’s parents used to farm in a forest, until they were given notice to stop because some people were illegally cutting trees in the area. AMHF says, “Now Francis’s father works as a casual laborer on nearby farms, and he is barely able to put food on the table at the end of the day; his family has had to go many days without food.” Two weeks ago, Francis broke both of his legs. AMHF tells us, “Francis was in the forest playing with friends and looking for firewood for the household to use when he fell from a tree.” Both of his legs have bilateral midshaft femur fractures, and because of this he cannot walk and is on pain management medication. AMHF goes on to say, “If the surgery is not done soon, Francis could develop infection or suffer malunion and he would not be able to attend school in September - but if treated, he will be able to use crutches and move around a bit.” Francis needs orthopedic surgery to open the area around the broken bones and realign them with metal hardware. This procedure costs $1,410 and AMHF reports, “After the surgery and recovery, Francis will be able to resume school and walk normally again.” “I was begging the hospital to treat my son and hold me here to work off the bill when the doctor called," his father shares. "This support is a miracle from God.”

“I want to fight for my little one. I want him to be healthy and strong like his siblings,” says the mother of Luciano, a three-year-old boy from Guatemala who loves looking at picture books and playing make-believe with his sister. Luciano came to our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), with developmental delays. “Luciano was born normal and healthy but over time began to have regular seizures and fevers,” explains WK. “Luciano also suffers from malnutrition. He is hospitalized every 15 to 30 days, and his mother is running out of money to afford his medical care.” The financial impact of Luciano’s care has made it difficult for his mother to buy food for the family and school supplies for his five siblings. Her time away from work to accompany Luciano to the hospital also decreases the amount of money available to support the family. $1,385 will fund a thorough diagnostic work-up, treatment, and ongoing therapy for Luciano. “This treatment will allow Luciano to receive medical visits, the correct anti-seizure medication and physical/speech therapy,” says WK. “This will improve his quality of life, ability to communicate, and potential for success. His health will improve, and he will not have to go to the hospital regularly.” Let’s help make that happen for Luciano!

"I feel like giving up at times, but Mercy’s heavenly smile gives me the courage to face tomorrow," her mother shares. "I really hope she gets treated.” Mercy is a three-month-old girl who lives with her siblings and parents in a single-room house in Kenya. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), says, “Mercy was born pre-maturely as her mother had high blood pressure.” “Mercy’s head is progressively increasing in size, making her very irritable, and she is at risk of having delayed development,” AMHF explains. Mercy has hydrocephalus, a condition where cerebrospinal fluid builds up in the brain, increasing pressure and possibly damaging the brain. AMHF continues, “Unfortunately, Mercy’s father has been ailing for the last three months and hence cannot help in providing for the family needs, so Mercy’s mother has been doing some casual tasks to provide daily meals for her family.” Mercy’s mother is struggling with her own health due to the strain of trying to support her husband and children on her own. For $980, Mercy will have a shunt implanted that will drain the excess cerebrospinal fluid from her brain. “Mercy’s surgery will eliminate the pressure impacted on her brain and therefore improve the chances of her living a long, healthy, and quality life,” AMHF concludes.

Meet Orbele, a 15-year-old boy from Tanzania. Orbele lives with his aunt, uncle, and three cousins. According to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), Orbele is a “polite boy who enjoys studying mathematics and history.” Outside of school, Orbele used to enjoy playing soccer, but due to bilateral genu valgus ("knocked knees"), he is currently restricted to a more sedentary lifestyle. Bilateral genu valgus occurs when the knees angle outwards, ultimately causing the lower legs to be positioned away from each other. While this is a common condition in very young children and typically resolves itself naturally, Orbele’s case has only worsened with time. “Orbele’s legs started to bend inwards when he was nine years old,” explains AMHF. Now, “he is unable to walk without knocking his knees. The condition has affected his gait and ability to walk or run quickly—he also complains of pain, especially on his left knee after walking a long distance.” Unless he receives treatment, Orbele risks developing osteoarthritis. AMHF says that while his aunt and uncle “love Orbele very much and would like to see him able to walk like he used to,” they do not have the income to cover his treatment costs and support the rest of the family. With $940, Orbele will undergo surgery to straighten and realign his legs. Included in the total cost of treatment, Orbele will receive specialist care from Plaster House—a rehabilitation program. During his three months at Plaster House, Orbele will have two weeks of intensive physiotherapy, which will be critical to his successful recovery. Following surgery and rehabilitation, AMHF shares, “Orbele will be able to walk properly and will decrease his chances of developing osteoarthritis at a young age.” Orbele shares, “I dream of becoming a primary school teacher!”

“Thu Thu is a very smart girl,” says her father. “She puts efforts into studies but her current health condition prevents her from going to school.” At two years old, doctors discovered that Thu Thu had a hole in her heart, a condition called patent ductus arteriosus. They expected that it would heal itself, however, now at 16 years old, Thu Thu requires surgery to close the hole. “Thu Thu lives in Burma with her parents and two older sisters,” explains our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). “Her father works as a tailor while her mother takes care of the house and children. Thu Thu’s father’s income is just barely enough to cover daily expenses so they do not have money saved to pay for healthcare.” While untreated, Thu Thu suffers with the symptoms of her condition. “Thu Thu has severe fatigue and gets sick with colds frequently,” continues BBP. “Her breathing and pulse are irregular. Her condition has forced her to drop out of school even though she has excelled in her classes until now.” For $1,500, Thu Thu will receive cardiac surgery to help her regain energy and attend school again. Once she recovers, she plans to go back to class, pass her exam, and move on to a university. “I really want to pass my matriculation exam,” shares Thu Thu. “I cannot wait to be as healthy as other people.”