Leah is a child from Tanzania. She is the first born child in her small family, she a playful and curious little girl. Leah’s mother is a stay home mother and her father works as a casual labor. Leah was diagnosed with left genu varus. Her left leg is bowed outward. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, she has difficulty walking. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $940 to fund corrective surgery for Leah. The procedure is scheduled to take place on September 13th. Treatment will hopefully restore Leah's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Leah’s mother say, “Please help my daughter get this treatment so he is able to walk without pain or difficulty.”

Denis is a baby from Tanzania. He has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Denis traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on August 13. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $890 to fund Denis's clubfoot repair. His mother says, "“I wouldn’t want my son to feel different due to his condition please help my son I want him to grow up just like his older brother.”

Sue is a 48-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her mother, husband and son in Hlaingbwe Township, Karen State. Sue and her husband are farmers. Sue has a kidney stone. She has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, Sue's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Sue is scheduled to undergo her cholecystectomy on July 3. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Sue's procedure and care. Sue said, “I would like to become healthy again, so that I can be able to work and support my family.”

Chheang is a teenager from Cambodia. He was born with scoliosis, which is progressing with age and making it difficult to sit in school for long periods, and causing a lot of discomfort. Surgery can help correct the position of his spine, and prevent further worsening of the condition. Spinal surgery is scheduled for June 6 and will cost $1,500. In his free time, he likes to read books, watch TV, listen to music, and go outside with his family. He hopes to one day become a doctor when he grows up.

Mu Lu is a 40-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her family in Thay Ka Tay Village, Kawkareik Township, Karen State. Fives month ago, Mu Lu started to experience problems with the right side of the top of her throat, when her right salivary gland became swollen. Then the pain worsened, and she had ringing in her ear. The ringing was so loud that she could not hear people properly when they talked to her. She tried to cure herself with traditional medicine, but the pain never disappeared. Mu Lu sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. she is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on May 21. She is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Mu Lu says, "I am scared to undergo the surgery but there is no other option for my condition to get heal. I hope that after surgery, I will be no longer in pain."

Mavelt is a preschooler from Haiti. He lives with his parents and younger brother in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. He likes watching cartoons and drawing. Mavelt has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. This condition involves several related defects including a hole between two chambers of the heart, and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. Mavelt will fly to the United States to receive treatment. On April 19, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will close the hole in his heart with a patch, and remove the muscular blockage. Another organization, HeartGift Foundation, is contributing $18,000 to pay for surgery. Mavelt's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Mavelt's family overseas. His mother says, "My son's heart has been making him very sick, and so I was very happy to learn he can have surgery!"

Mu is 43-year-old farmer from Burma. She lives with her husband and five children. In her free time she likes to forage for vegetables in the forest with her friends. She has a gallstone and has burning pain in her lower right abdomen. She also suffers from back pain and sometimes she is not able to sleep or eat well due to the pain. Mu has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, Mu's symptoms will continue to worsen and put him at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), Mu is scheduled to undergo her cholecystectomy on March 21. BCMF is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Mu's procedure and care. She says, "I hope that I can get well again so that I can help my husband and my son on our farm."

Saw Shine is a 23-year-old student from Burma. He lives with his parents in Htee Thae Lay Village, Hpa-pun Township, Karen State. His parents work as farmers, planting beans, tobacco and vegetables on their small farm. In his free time, he loves to play football or help his parents on the farm. On April 27, 2018, a branch fell on Saw Shine’s right leg and broke it. At present, Saw Shine cannot walk without crutches. He feels a lot of pain when he tries to walk. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Saw Shine will undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for February 20 and will cost $1,500. He will be able to walk properly and also able to study again. Saw Shine says, “I want to serve my community. I am especially interested in management of education systems.”

Beth is a farmer from Kenya. She is a mother of one daughter. Beth has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Without treatment, the cancer may spread to other organs. A mastectomy, a surgery to remove breast tissue, has been suggested to rid her body of breast cancer and to prevent the cancer from metastasizing. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $816 to cover the cost of a mastectomy for Beth. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 8. After treatment, Beth will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Beth says, “My hope is to have the treatment done. I want to fight the condition and finish victorious."

Aung is a 15-year-old student from Thailand. He lives with his mother and younger brother in Mae Sot, Tak Province. His mother works as a greengrocer at her own stall in the market, and his younger brother studies at the same school with Aung. In his free time, he likes to play football and cane ball with his friends. In 2017, Aung started to experience blurry vision. He had his eyes checked and received a new pair of glasses. However, in 2018, his left eye became cloudy. He now has a headache and cannot see clearly with his left eye. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund lens replacement surgery for Aung. On December 19, doctors will perform a lens replacement, during which they will remove Aung's natural lens and replace it with an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $1,500 procedure. Aung’s teacher says, “His mother is worried that Aung’s condition will worsen, and she is also afraid that he will go blind.”

Gift is a baby from Kenya. She is this the youngest of four. Gift 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, Gift 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 $1,097 to cover the cost of Gift's spina bifida closure surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on November 21. This procedure will hopefully spare Gift from the risks associated with her condition, instead allowing her to grow and develop along a healthy trajectory.

Davidson is a preschooler from Haiti. He lives with his parents and older brother in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. He will start preschool once he recovers from surgery. Davidson has a cardiac condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. This condition involves several related defects, including a hole between two chambers of the heart and a muscular blockage of one of the valves. On October 10, he will undergo cardiac surgery at St. Damien Hospital, our medical partner's care center. During surgery, surgeons will close the hole with a patch and remove the muscular blockage. Another organization, Gift of Life International, is contributing $5,000 to pay for surgery. Davidson's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 requested by our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, covers cardiac exams and medications. His mother says, "I will be very relieved for this surgery to be over because I have been very worried about my son's health."