Pauline is a baby from Kenya. She has been diagnosed with encephalocoele, a type of neural tube defect in which brain tissues and overlying membranes protrude through openings in the skull. Encephalocoele usually results from a failure of the neural tube to completely close during fetal development. Without treatment, Pauline is at risk of developmental delays, brain damage, or premature death. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $929 to fund encephalocoele repair surgery for Pauline. The procedure is scheduled to take place on May 7. Hopefully, the repair of this condition will allow Pauline to grow up healthy.

Emmanuel is a young boy from Kenya. He is the second child to his parents, Since he was one month old, Emmanuel has had an inguinal hernia. This causes him pain and discomfort and if not treated, it may result in intestinal tissue damage and death. Fortunately, on March 5, he will undergo repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $423 to fund Emmanuel's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. “I hope that soon all this will be behind us. We hope you can help,” shares Emmanuel’s mother.

Smaha is a young student from Haiti. She lives with her parents and three siblings in Cap Haitien, a city on the northern coast of Haiti. She attends kindergarten, and likes coloring and doing art projects. Smaha has a cardiac condition called patent ductus arteriosus. A hole exists between two major blood vessels near the heart. Blood leaks through this hole without passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her sickly and short of breath. On April 8, she will undergo cardiac surgery at St. Damien Hospital, our medical partner's care center. During surgery, Surgeons will use stitches to close off the hole so that blood can no longer leak through it. Another organization, Gift of Life International, is contributing $5,000 to pay for surgery. Smaha'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. Her mother says, "We are very happy that Smaha can have this surgery, and would like to say thank you to everyone!"

Moe is a 10-month-old baby boy who lives with his parents, uncle, grandmother, and older brother in Burma. His father used to work as a server in Bangkok, but he moved back home three months ago to help take care of Moe. Since Moe’s mother cannot work while she is looking after her two sons, they are forced to live off of their savings. Three months after Moe was born, his mother noticed that he had a bump on his left eyebrow. She took him to visit the doctor at Mae Tao Clinic, our medical partner's care center. He was sent to Mae Sot Hospital for further investigation. The doctor at the hospital diagnosed him with a cyst and scheduled him for a cyst removal surgery on April 10. Now, Moe's family needs help raising $1,500 to fund this procedure. “When he grows up, we want to send him to school and we will support him whatever he decides to become," says Moe's father.

Rusen, a 19-month-old baby boy from Kenya, is the last-born in a family of five children. At the age of three months his head began increasing in size, and at six months his mother noticed that, unlike other children, Rusen could not do things such as sit down or hold his head up. Rusen was diagnosed with hydrocephalus - a condition involving the buildup of cerebrospinal fluid within the brain cavities - which was delaying his development. Rusen's head has been progressively increasing in size and he seems very irritable. A shunt insertion is required to treat Rusen's condition, so his parents were advised to seek specialized treatment. Unfortunately, due to a lack of finances, his parents opted not to seek out further treatment. Rusen’s parents are subsistence farmers and supplement their farming income with any casual work that they can get. The family lives in a single-room house and Rusen’s siblings are all in school and doing well. However, the family does not have any extra funds to spend on the medical attention that Rusen needs. Fortunately, the Bethany Kids mobile clinic outreach team spotted the family and urged them to come for treatment, which they did. But Rusen’s parents were only able to raise money for the bus ticket to get them to Bethany Kids, and therefore cannot raise the money required for the actual surgical care. With $615, Rusen's shunt insertion will be possible. During the operation, the shunt will be inserted into Rusen's head in order to divert excess fluid into other areas of his body. In doing so, Rusen's head will return to a normal size and he will no longer be at risk for the serious health complications, such as brain damage, associated with hydrocephalus. “We had given up all hope until we met with a team from Bethany Kids. We are more than happy to know that there are hopes for Rusen’s treatment,” shares Rusen’s mother.

"I want to be a doctor when I grow up," shares Edward, a 12-year-old primary school student who lives with his great-grandmother and his cousins in Kenya. Neglected by his mother after tribal clashes in 2007, Edward was reconnected with his great-grandmother through a well-wisher. In September of 2012, Edward's right arm was burned, and he was taken to the hospital. As his burn injury healed, the scar thickened and tightened over time, forming contractures. Edward is not able to fully stretch his right hand due to the contractures, and he cannot attend school most of the time due to pain in his hand. His limited mobility prevents him from fully utilizing his hand when playing or performing simple chores at home. Edward was brought to our facility by a neighbor from his village. Doctors recommend that Edward undergo surgery to release the post-burn contracture, but neither his family nor his concerned neighbor can afford the treatment costs. His great-grandmother is old and unable to work, and she must also provide for Edward’s cousins. The family relies on financial assistance from well-wishers to meet their daily needs. $1,215 pays for Edward's surgery as well as nine days of hospital care, including blood tests, pain medicine, and antibiotics. With financial assistance, Edward will be able to access medical treatment and continue pursuing his dream of becoming a doctor.

Suwas lives with his mother and siblings in Nepal. He studies in grade two at a child education center. His father works in India to support the family back home while his mother is responsible for grazing the cattle and looking after the children. Suwas was walking down from his home to the field when he fell on a rock, fracturing his right hand and cutting the back of his head. His mother tried to treat his fracture at home using bamboo sticks. When she noticed how Suwas still had difficulty moving his hand, she finally decided to seek medical help. They walked for eight straight hours to get to the hospital from their home. Suwas has been in so much pain since the injury that he has been crying a lot and had to take medication to control the pain. He has difficulty moving the injured arm and there is some swelling too. He will have to do physiotherapy exercise to regain mobility after treatment. For $541, we can fund surgery to correct the fracture, as well as physical therapy to allow him to regain a full range of motion. "We have come from so far in hopes of getting a better treatment," Suwas' mother shares. "I wish my son’s treatment happens soon."

Meet Rottana, a two-year-old girl from Cambodia. Rottana lives at home with her sister and her parents. She traveled two hours with her mother to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment. Rottana received a poorly administered injection in each thigh when she was six months old. This caused bilateral quadriceps fibrosis, which means that she can't bend her legs or walk easily. Her knees are stiff because of the contracted quadriceps muscles. Surgeons at CSC will perform a quadricepsplasty surgery on the left quadriceps muscle to release the fibrosis. She will be able to bend her leg easily after the operation. Let's help Rottana get back on her feet.

Moo Naw is a 48-year-old woman from Burma. Although she has no children of her own, Moo Naw lives with her husband, her mother, and her 16-year-old nephew on a small farm. Both her and her husband tend to their rice paddy fields, but Moo Naw’s husband also works as an agricultural day laborer, which Moo Naw used to do until she fell ill. Moo Naw’s symptoms first presented themselves when she was three months into her first pregnancy. She began to have headaches and became incredibly sensitive to light, to the point where she was unable to open her eyes without experiencing migraine-like symptoms. She developed severe back pain and experienced joint and muscle aches, in addition to heavy bleeding. After blood tests and an ultrasound, our staff informed her that they saw a mass in her uterus and she was diagnosed with uterine fibroids. Moo Naw is not able to work on her farm or as an agricultural day laborer due to her symptoms. Let's help Moo Naw get back on her feet so that she can help support her family.

In June 2015, Purity felt a lump on her left breast. She had been to various hospitals with no clear diagnosis until April 2016, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and a mastectomy was recommended. Purity requires this treatment but is not able to raise the amount needed for surgery. Purity is a young mother of one child aged one and a half years old. She recently opened a small business in Nairobi to earn a living after an earlier business failure. Purity is also supported by her brothers as she is not yet stable financially to fully rely on herself. Her parents are not financially stable and so she can not rely on them. Purity experiences pain on her left breast where she has a lump. Purity has emotional stress due to the thoughts of having cancer and the risks associated with cancer. She prefers being alone. If not treated, Purity risks having cancer spread to other parts of her body which might result to premature death. After the treatment, risk of cancer spreading to other parts of Purity’s body and possibly causing death will be reduced. Purity will also be free to work and raise her young child. “I want to get well, raise awareness about cancer, and raise my child," Purity said.

Meet Sao, a five-year-old girl who is currently attending primary school. The youngest in the family, Sao has two sisters and two brothers. She enjoys playing with dolls and with her friends at school. Sao was born with syndactyly of both hands, a congenital malformation that leaves her fingers on each hand webbed together. Because her fingers are partially united by skin, it is difficult for her to hold or carry objects. Sao traveled four hours with her father to reach Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Center (CSC) in hopes of receiving treatment. $321 in funding can cover all surgical costs as surgeons at CSC perform a syndactyly release surgery on each hand. With carefully placed incisions, the surgeons will separate the connected fingers and improve the overall functionality of her hands. Our support will go a long way to helping young Sao become healthier and stronger.

Bikash is a playful fourth grader who enjoys swimming and fishing in the river near his home. This nine-year-old boy from Nepal has a hernia which has become progressively more difficult for him to live with. "Although he had been living with hernia for a few years now, it became increasingly painful in the last two weeks," explains our medical partner, Possible. "Worried if it may cause complications in the future, his family brought him to the hospital." Possible continues, "His father works in India to support the family back home while his mother tends to the farm to make ends meet." Bikash is responsible for grazing the cattle at home and looking after his younger sister. For $491, we can fund a hernia repair surgery, which will put the tissue that's currently bulging out of place back where it belongs. This procedure will reduce Bikash's pain and the risk of complications like strangulation. "I am a little worried because it's my son's first time in the hospital," says Bikash's mother. "But I am positive he will be cured." "Bikash is keen to head back home and rejoin school once his treatment is over," Possible says.