Esther is a beautiful seven-month old baby girl from Haiti. She has two older sisters, and loves to smile and play with her mom. Esther has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Esther has been experiencing an increase in head circumference. Without treatment, Esther will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $897 to cover the cost Esther's surgery, which she will have on February 24th at our medical partner's care center, Hospital Bernard Mevs. This is the only site in Haiti that currently provides this critical type of treatment, which will drain the excess fluid from Esther's brain to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Esther will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Her parents shared with us that they hope she'll have the opportunity to grow up and be able to play with the other children.

Samson is a young boy from Kenya. He is the fourth of five children. Samson was born with an anorectal malformation, a congenital abnormality that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. He needs to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate bowel dysfunction. Samson is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct his condition on February 15. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,327 to cover the total cost of Samson's procedure and care. After his recovery, Samson will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. “People are friendly here and I have faith Samson will get help,” says Samson’s father.

Sarah is a student from Kenya. Her parents are farmers. They plant maize in a small farm. Two years ago, Sarah began to experience troubling symptoms, including weight gain, dizziness, and a neck swelling. She was diagnosed with a multi-nodular goiter. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Sarah receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on June 12 at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $641, and she and her family need help raising money. Sarah says, “I want to be treated so that I can join my friends in school. I also look forward to good results after full recovery."