Gideon is 6-year-old playful boy. Five days ago, Gideon came to the hospital with a complaint of pain in his right hand, which looked like an obvious fracture due to the deformed and swollen appearance of his arm. He was unable to lift his hand. Gideon sustained the fracture while he was playing with his friends in school. Accompanied by his mother, they walked over 16 miles to get to our hospital to see a doctor and get treated. After the doctor's assessment, Gideon was admitted for skin traction to limit movement and reduce his pain and swelling. Now he has been scheduled for Open Reduction and External Fixation (OREF) surgery on Friday, March 20th. Gideon is the second born in a family of three children. He was born and raised in a small village called Kipkaner where most of the inhabitants work on farms or perform other low-income jobs. His parents did not attend school, so they don’t speak Swahili nor English. The family lives in a small mud hut with grass as a roof. His family gets sustenance from their small farm and consists mostly of millet, sorghum and seasonal fruits like mangos. Gideon likes to spend his days looking after her grandmother's goats. He feels that his grandmother will find it hard to take care of her goats when he is sick. Gideon is in severe pain. He has a hard time sleeping. The family is requesting for financial support for their child to undergo surgery. Gideon’s father says, “I want my son to get back to his normal life. It is paining to see him lay in bed without help.”

“I am looking forward to doing chores at home without experiencing chest pain, difficulty breathing, and difficulty swallowing,” shares Torteliana, a 50-year-old farmer who lives with her family in a nipa hut in the Philippines. For the last 15 years, Torteliana has had an enlarged thyroid, commonly known as a goiter. Typically presenting as a lump or swelling at the front of the neck, a goiter can become large enough to obstruct nearby structures and cause difficulty swallowing or breathing. Most goiters are due to a deficiency of iodine, an important element in the body’s production of thyroid hormones that regulate the body's metabolism. Because of the goiter, “Torteliana cannot carry heavy objects and cannot do heavy tasks at home,” explains our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM). “And because it is visible enough due to its size, it really gets people's attention when she passes by, and she is embarrassed by it.” Despite her worsening symptoms, “Torteliana was not examined by a doctor because of lack of finances,” ICM continues. In addition to working on her farm, she sells local goods at the market, but “she cannot afford the treatment needed because her income is barely enough for the everyday needs of her family.” Doctors recommend that Torteliana undergo a thyroidectomy, a surgical procedure to remove the thyroid gland. $1,500 covers the cost of the surgery, transportation to and from the hospital, 10 days of hospital care—including medicine, imaging, and blood tests—and medication to take after she returns home. “After the treatment, Torteliana will not experience difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, or chest pain,” ICM tells us. “She can do her activities of daily living with confidence. She can be productive and boost her self-esteem.” “I am very thankful that somebody could help me to have this operation for free,” says Torteliana. “I am hopeful that after this, I can work with less difficulty to sustain my family's needs."

Mirlene is three years old, and lives in Port-au-Prince, Haiti with her mother, aunt, and cousins. She has not yet started preschool but likes to play with the kids in her neighborhood and draw. “Mirlene was born with a cardiac condition called complete atrioventricular septal defect, in which multiple holes exist between the upper and lower chambers of her heart,” says our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). “Blood flows through these holes in her heart without first passing through the lungs to get oxygen, leaving her sickly and short of breath. Because of the severity of this condition, there is a chance it may not be repairable, but the only way to determine this is by inserting a catheter into the chambers of her heart. Since this is not possible in Haiti, arrangements are being made to bring her to Dominican Republic to perform this extremely important test in the hopes that she can have heart surgery later in the year.” For $1,500, Mirlene will receive this life-saving procedure to determine the rest of her treatment plan. This cost also covers her travel and transportation costs between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. "I am so happy that there is a way forward for Mirlene,” her mother says. “We are hoping for a good result from this test."

Meet five-year-old Lilian from Tanzania. "Lilian is a happy and active little girl. She likes to run around with other children and enjoys carrying a big doll on her back, as well as feeding her doll with mud," says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). "Lilian’s mother is a widow, but she works hard to take care of her children. She does farm work and road construction when there are projects going on. Three of her children are going to school, and she hopes that all of her children will." "Lilian is unable to breathe well through the nostrils due to enlarged tonsils and adenoids. When she sleeps at night, she sometimes suddenly wakes up gasping for air," reports AMHF. "There are times when she also loses her voice. The way Lilian breathes bothers her mother very much." For $545, Lilian can receive a tonsillectomy to surgically remove her tonsils, two oval-shaped pads of tissue at the back of her throat. This cost covers a three-day hospital stay, consultation, surgery, lab work, and medication. "Lilian will be able to breathe well through her nose and she will sleep well at night," explains AMHF. “I pray that my daughter will get well," Lilian's mother shares. "I will work hard to take her to school in the near future so that later on she can get a good job and if possible, even help me."

Meet Rickenley. He is three years old, and lives with his parents and sister in Haiti. Rickenley is intelligent and curious, and loves watching soccer (his favorite team is Real Madrid). “Rickenley suffers from a condition called coarctation of the aorta, in which the aorta is too narrow to allow blood to pass through normally. The heart must work much harder to push the blood through,” explains our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). “This causes the heart to fail, and in Rickenley’s case it would soon be fatal.” “We have been very scared ever since the doctor explained to us what is wrong with Rickenley,” his parents say. “It’s a miracle that he will have the chance to be fixed!” $1,500 will help Rickenley get the surgery he needs to repair his heart. Let’s work together to give him a chance to lead a healthy life!

“I hope to become a surgeon when I grow up,” Edward says. Edward is a 12-year-old boy who lives in Tanzania with his family. He is the oldest of four children, likes math the most in school, and is really responsible; he actually enjoys helping his parents with daily chores! Edward also likes to play soccer, but his knee condition prevents him from being able to play or even walk long distances. Edward has severe bilateral genu valgus, a condition which causes his knees to bend inward, knocking them together as he walks. "If not treated, Edward will develop early osteoarthritis," Watsi's medical partner writes. Edward will need to have bilateral distal femoral osteotomic surgery to correct his condition. As much as his parents would like to see their son walk well with ease, the surgery cost is just too high for them to afford. But with $555, we can pay for his healthcare and help him out.

15% of all pregnancies have complications, but in developing countries they can be fatal. Emergency medical care is often unavailable. As a result, adolescent girls are at the highest risk of death due to complications during pregnancy worldwide. At 15, Roseline is high-risk. Her baby is due in June, and she is excited but nervous about becoming a mother. She wants to make sure she is prepared. For $215, Lwala Community Alliance can help by providing her with pre-natal care, a safe delivery, and post-delivery checkups for her and her baby. Roseline left school for her pregnancy, but she tells Lwala "I pray that I will enroll back into school and begin secondary education. I also hope my child will be educated in the future." Let's help her have a happy and healthy pregnancy so she can accomplish her dreams!

Faith has a case of dropfoot and needs the tibia ligament transferred on her right foot for proper movement and flexibility. Without surgery, Faith will have a great deal of trouble walking, and running is out of the question. This affects her ability to play with her friends and attend school. Luckily, the doctors at CURE Malawi can change that. Faith comes from a low-income family in Malawi. Her parents have the same hopes for her that each us of would for our own children – to get an education and have a bright future – but without the ability to walk, those dreams won’t be possible. After surgery, getting an education, having a normal childhood free from discrimination, and even finding a meaningful job someday will all be possible for Faith.

Tilahun has suffered from rheumatic heart fever and mitral stenosis (a condition that prevents the heart's mitral valve from fully opening) for the last thirteen years. For as long as he can remember, Tilahun has dealt with fatigue, shortness of breath, and chest pain on a daily basis. Tilahun lives in a mud hut without electricity or running water. His parents, both farmers, have spent most of their meager incomes on his medical expenses, and their resources are running out. Tilahun is extremely bright. He ranks fourth out of sixty-five students in his class! Seriously, ALL this kid does is study, with occasional breaks to watch his favorite soccer teams play. Tilahun's dream is to continue his education and become a teacher. Recently, Tilahun's condition has become so bad that he's had to make the agonizing decision to leave school. His doctors say that if left untreated, his condition could cause heart failure. We need to raise $1,575 so Tilahun can afford to fly to India and get the treatment that can save his life. Let's do this!