Jane is a 36-year-old mother of two from Kenya. Jane's husband works as a driver, and Jane used to work in a grocery shop. She stopped working about two years ago after the delivery of her second child when she noticed a small lump on her breast. After a number of clinical visits and diagnostic tests, Jane was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2017. She went to two hospitals, however she could not afford the quoted price for surgery at either one. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $816 to fund a mastectomy for Jane. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 30 and, once completed, will hopefully allow Jane to live more comfortably, without the risk of the cancer metastasizing. “I want to be treated and continue providing for my young children and husband," says Jane.

Meet Eh Tha, an 18-month-old baby from Burma. "She is very sweet and her mother says she never cries and is very well behaved," our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP), tells us. “When she was born, her mother noticed a small bump above her nose between her eyes,” explains BBP. "The medics informed her that her baby had an encephalocele and would need to have surgery to have it repaired." This means that Eh Tha’s neural structures did not develop normally, leading to visible protrusions containing excess cerebrospinal fluid. Now, the defect is affecting her ability to see. With only Eh Tha’s father’s income to support the family, the medical costs of her condition are a strain on the family. They cannot afford the surgery that doctors have recommended for her. According to BBP, Eh Tha has already received surgery for a ventriculoperitoneal shunt to relieve the pressure of fluid in her brain and around her eyes. $1,500 will cover her second surgery to close the open wound. Eh Tha’s mother shares: “I want my daughter to be healthy and happy. I just want my daughter to have surgery as soon as possible and recover.”

Two-year-old Otto lives with his parents in Uganda. His parents work as subsistence farmers and grow only enough food to meet the needs of the family. Recently, Otto was involved in a domestic accident that left him with severe burns, shares our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation. They explain, “Otto fell into a pot of soup his mother was cooking and has been burned severely on his left side from his head to his stomach.” Burns constitute the second most common cause of trauma-related deaths worldwide. For burn victims who do survive, the next question becomes whether they will be able to return to society as normal, productive people given the high chance of decreased mobility from burn scar contractures. In developing countries where there is a lack of access to surgical care, this question is even more prevalent. For $685, Otto will undergo the surgery and receive the post-surgical treatment he needs to make a full recovery. The treatment will result in reduced scarring to the burned area, and will prevent the possibility of an infection. “God bless you for the help,” shares Otto’s parents. “We could not afford to pay for treatment without this help.”