Mbabazi is a 30-year-old mother of two who hopes to deliver her third child at our medical partner's care center, Nyakibale Hospital. As the sole provider for her family, Mbabazi is a trained nurse and who works at a local clinic but shared that she earns only a minimal income. Her husband lost his job and has yet to secure another. Together, the family lives in a single-roomed rental house. Mbabazi received antenatal care at Nyakibale Hospital. She was advised to deliver via a C-Section to reduce risk of uterine rupture, haemorrhage, and possible fetal and maternal death. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $252 to fund Mbabazi's procedure. The expecting mother shares, “I am praying so hard that God blesses my delivery to come out successful. I do not have the money required and appeal for your support."

Nurat is a three-week old baby from Tanzania. She is the first child of her young parents at a local hospital in Manyara. Nurat’s mother still lives at her parents’ home while her father lives at a rented house. Before Nurat's birth, her mother sold flowers and cooking pots to earn a living and her father has a small kiosk selling domestic items such as sugar, salt, bread. Nurat was born with spina bifida that puts her at risk of lower-limb paralysis, infection, and possible developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,015 to cover the cost of Nurat's spina bifida closure surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 23rd. This procedure will hopefully spare Nurat from the risks associated with his condition, instead allowing her to grow and develop into a healthy girl . Nuru’s mother hopes the best for her child, "Am still in shock and unsettled due to my daughter’s conditions. I was informed that both conditions could be corrected but we are not in a position to afford any of the treatment costs. Please help save my daughter I don’t know what to do."

Glory is a charming four-year-old girl and the firstborn child in a family of two children. Glory’s mother is house mother, while her father provides for the family through his work at construction sites. Glory was diagnosed with bilateral genu valgus, which means that her legs bow inwards and her knees touch. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often comes from contaminated drinking water. As a result, Glory has difficulty walking and experiences pain after playing all day. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Glory. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 4th and treatment will hopefully restore Glory's mobility, allowing her to participate in a variety of activities and greatly decreasing her risk of future complications. Glory’s mother shared, "we have tried medication, but it has not helped. Our daughter now needs surgery but the cost of treatment is too high for us to afford. Please help."

Joseph is a 28-year-old gardener from Western Kenya. He is married and has two young children including one who is four years old and another who is five months old. His wife takes care of their home and children, and he is the breadwinner of the family. On April 4th, Joseph was involved in a road accident on his way home from work. He was knocked down by a speeding motorbike and fractured his right tibia/fibula. Joseph cannot walk on his own. He is ambulating using crutches and experiences a lot of pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. On May 6th, Joseph will undergo a fracture repair procedure called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him walk easily. Now, AMH is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Joseph shared, “I am the breadwinner of the family and this accident is affecting my work and life. I, sadly, am unable to raise the amount required for the surgery and treatment.“

Htoo is a 6-year-old boy from Thailand. He lives with his parents, brother and two sisters in a refugee camp on the border of Thailand and Burma. Htoo and his siblings were born in the refugee camp. Htoo’s mother is a homemaker, while Htoo’s older brother and sisters go to primary school and Htoo attends kindergarten. His father used to work as a day labourer, but has been unemployed since the pandemic began. Currently, they have no income and receive some financial support for their daily expenses. Luckily, Htoo's family receives free basic healthcare and education in the camp. In late October 2020, Htoo was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia. If he stands up for a short period of time, or walks, the right side of his private area will swell. Around twice a week, Htoo shares with his parents that this area is hurting him and he feels uncomfortable. Fortunately, on April 8th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at Mae Sot General Hospital, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund Htoo's hernia repair surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on April 8th and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. Htoo's father shared, “Most of the time, my son is very active and playful. He will only rest when he complains about the pain.”

Naw Kwee Moo is a 54-year-old woman from the Karen region in Burma, who lives with her husband and their family in a refugee camp. Of her children, three daughters and three sons still live in the refugee camp along with them near the Thai-Burma border. Naw Kwee is a homemaker and her husband is currently too ill to work. Five of their children go to school in the camp, four other children have moved away, and her second oldest son graduated from a post-secondary program in May 2020. He worked as an agricultural day laborer at a nearby Thai village until mid-December 2020. Due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, he was no longer allowed to leave the camp. Naw Kwe’s household receives a monthly cash card to purchase basic rations. Although they receive free education and basic health care in the camp, they shared how hard it is to make ends meet. Starting four years ago, Naw Kwee often went to the camp’s hospital run by Malteser International (MI) Thailand to receive treatment for urinary tract infections (UTI). Most of the time, she would feel better after taking medication, but she was no longer able to work as an agricultural day laborer because of her pain. Over the next few years, she was diagnosed with chronic UTI. “I think my condition was caused from consuming dirty water,” she said. “When I worked as a day laborer, we had no access to clean water.” Naw Kwee received antibiotics through an intravenous (IV) line at the camp’s hospital. When her condition did not improve, a doctor at the camp’s hospital referred her again to Mae Sariang Hospital in March 2020. There she received a urine test and an x-ray of her kidneys, ureters and bladder. She was finally diagnosed with a right kidney stone. After multiple visits, the doctor at Mae Sariang Hospital referred her to Chiang Mai Hospital (CMH) for further treatment. However, Naw Kwee could not travel to CMH for a while due to travel restrictions after the outbreak of Covid-19. Finally, last June medical staff from her camp were able to bring Naw Kwee to Chiang Mai. During her appointment, the doctor scheduled her to undergo an intravenous pyelogram on July 16th, 2020. After she received a diagnostic test, she returned to CMH for her follow-up appointment on November 19th, 2020. During her appointment, she received more tests and it was at her next appointment Naw Kwee was told she needed to undergo multiple rounds of laser treatment to break up the stone in her kidney. She received her first round of laser treatment on February 11th, 2021. Two days later, she developed a fever and could only pass a bit of urine. She also started to experience severe back pain and other troubling symptoms. MI staff took her back to the hospital where she received an ultrasound. The nurse shared with her that after her laser treatment, the stones had broken up and many of them where now stuck in her ureter, creating a blockage. She now needs emergency surgery to remove the stones. Our Medical Partner Burma Children Medical Fund is seeking $1,500 to support her surgery and finally relieve her of her painful condition.

Baby of Stumai is a 27-day-old old baby boy from Tanzania. He is the last born child in a family of three children. His father sells fruits by the roadside in order to support his family, while his mother takes care of their home. Baby of Stumai was born with spina bifida, a type of neural tube defect in which the spine does not properly close around the spinal cord. Without treatment, Baby of Stumai is at risk of lower-limb paralysis, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, development of tethered cord syndrome, and possible developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,015 to cover the cost of Baby of Stumai's spina bifida closure surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on February 3rd. This procedure will hopefully spare Baby of Stumai from the risks associated with his condition, instead allowing him to grow and develop along a healthy trajectory. Baby of Stumai's mother shared, “We have been informed that our son needs surgery to correct his condition, which is putting his life at risk but we can’t afford the cost. Please help us.”

James is a very playful and jovial boy. He loves to play with his friends and, his grandmother shared, they would play with anything because toys are hard to come by. One day James and his friends found a calabash and chose to play with it. While they were playing, one of them took the calabash and threw it to James. The calabash hit James at his right hip and he fell down. He struggled to stand up and immediately started limping and crying out of pain. He was rushed home to his grandmother where she took him to a nearby facility. James was given some pain medication and then sent home. His grandmother shared that a few days down the line his situation was not getting any better and he could not walk. James's grandmother sourced some funds and brought him to Kijabe Hospital for examination. Upon review, the doctor requested scans to develop a treatment plan, but due to lack of money to pay for the scan, his grandmother decided to go back home and look for money. While at home, it was took her a long time to raise the required amount for the scans. One day their church pastor visited to check on how they are adapting to life after the death of James’s mother. During the visit, he noticed that James was barely moving. He was concerned and asked his grandmother what was wrong. James's grandmother explained what happened and the current situation they are in. The pastor brought James back to Kijabe Hospital for the scans. When the doctor reviewed the scans, they immediately admitted James as an emergency case and a surgery was done helping to save his leg. During a regular clinic follow-up yesterday, his doctor noticed that the wound was oozing and was concerned about an infection. An x-ray was done and showed that his leg again needs emergency surgery to treat his condition. James is the youngest of four children. His father separated with his mother, and left James and his siblings to his mother. A few years later, James's mother died and his grandmother has taken full responsibility of the four children. To earn a living, his grandmother does laundry and ploughs farms for their neighbors. She does not have another source of income. James's first surgery was supported by Friends of Kijabe Hospital, but his grandmother is appealing for financial help for the surgery that is now needed for James. James’ grandmother shared, “At home after the first surgery, I was very happy to see James slowly trying to play with his friends again. Those were happy moments that I never thought James would experience again. I am requesting for financial help to put back a smile on his face."

Leng is a 13-year-old student. He is the youngest of four siblings. His father is a construction worker and his mother is a farmer. His favorite subject at school is literature, and he wants to be a police officer when he grows up. Two months ago, he was hit on the right hip by his brother and it was dislocated. His parents provided him with traditional healing, but the pain in his hip grew over time. He now finds it difficult to walk without pain, and cannot run. Doctors at Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) now plan to perform an osteotomy on his hip in order to reposition the placement of the ball within the socket. Once he recovers he will be able to walk easily and run again. Now, he needs your help to fund this $425 surgery. Leng shared, "It has been difficult to deal with this injury over time, but I am happy that I have this opportunity to have surgery. Thank you to the CSC doctors."

Samrith is a 27-year-old delivery man from Cambodia. He is the eldest ins his family and has two brothers and one sister, all of whom are students. Samrith's mother works as a clothing seller and his father is a taxi driver. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, playing on his phone, and meeting up with friends in the evening. On September 23rd, Samrith was in a motor vehicle accident that caused a fracture and paralysis of his right arm. His family took him to a private clinic to treat the fracture, which has now healed. However, the nerve damage remains. Samrith has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on his right side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Injuries to this nerve network can result in loss of function and sensation. He has no sensation or mobility in his right arm, which prevents him from working. Samrith traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On November 12th, he will undergo a brachial plexus repair surgery. After recovery, he will regain full range of motion of his arm. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $696 to fund this procedure. Samrith shared, "I hope after my surgery I am able to use my right arm again and return to working without pain."

Leab is a 73-year-old vegetable farmer from Cambodia. She has four sons, seven daughters, and many grandchildren. At home, she likes to play with her grandchildren and listen to the monks pray on the radio. Three months ago, Leab developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her blurry vision, eye irritation, and tearing. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Leab learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On April 23rd, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $229 procedure. "I hope that my mother will see everything better after the surgery. Right now I do very much worry about her eye," Leab's son said.

David is a 2-year-old baby boy from Kenya. David is a very happy and active child. He is an only child to his single-parent mother, and they live with his mother's parents. David's mother runs a small tea kiosk to earn a living and shared that she did not complete her college education when she had David. On October 17th, while David was playing, he slipped and fell and fractured his hand. He is in pain and cannot move his hand freely. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On November 3rd, David will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him heal well and he will be able to use this hand without pain. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,049 to fund this procedure. David's mother shared, “I am very worried because of my baby. My parents and I are not able to pay for the operation he requires. I am pleading for support so that he can be well and continue playing and growing normally. God bless you.”