Eduardo is a 13-year-old boy from Guatemala. He lives with his parents and nine siblings. He loves playing with his brothers and sisters and enjoys listening to music. Eduardo was born with microcephaly, a condition in which the brain develops unusually small and causes various developmental abnormalities. As a result, Eduardo experiences seizures that prevent him from being able to walk on his own. When he was younger, his family carried him on their backs to go to medical appointments. However, now that he is older and bigger, they are unable to carry him. Through our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), Eduardo will receive a wheelchair on February 28. WK is asking for $1,034 to cover the cost of the wheelchair. This wheelchair will make the world accessible for Eduardo.

Seyha is a 19-year-old tuk-tuk driver who has two sisters and one brother. He likes to watch movies, listen to the radio, and relax at home. In September, Seyha was in a motor vehicle accident that caused him head trauma. He was in a coma in a hospital in Vietnam for two weeks. He regained consciousness, but he developed a chronic dislocation of his left hip that made it difficult for him to walk. Seyha was in pain, and he became unable to work to support his family. When Seyha learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for seven hours to seek treatment. On December 14, surgeons at CSC performed an open reduction internal fixation procedure to heal Seyha's left hip. After recovery, he should be able to walk easily again. CSC is requesting $411 to fund this procedure.

Ivan is a two-year-old boy, and the son of subsistence farmers in Uganda. He currently lives with severe malnutrition. Ivan lives with his parents and newborn sister, who is only three weeks old. His parents grow millet, sweet potatoes, cassava and ground nuts. Ivan’s favorite food is bread, and he loves to sing along to music on the radio. Last year, Uganda went through an unusual harvest season, with a prolonged dry season followed by torrential downpour. The result was the widespread destruction of crops. Ivan’s family is one of many families who are feeling the strain of low crop yield and the associated malnutrition. Ivan has common symptoms of malnutrition, such as skin lesions, edema, and diarrhea. There is also an increased risk of stunting and cognitive impairment if he does not receive the nutrition needed. Our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation, tells us that for $375 Ivan will receive IV fluids with therapeutic nutrition for 10 days, which is enough for Ivan to return to normal development and investigate for other causes of his symptoms. Ivan's mother will also receive nutritional education to give her the confidence she needs to provide her children with the nutrition they need on their budget and with the foods they have available. The treatment will help Ivan overcome these obstacles to development, and help him reach his full mental and physical potential. “I was worried about the hospital bills so I thank you very much," Ivan's mother shares. "May God bless you.”

Meet Caleb, a two-year-old boy who lives with his parents and elder sibling in a single roomed house in Central Kenya. Caleb’s father works odd jobs, and his mother spends her days caring for Caleb and his sister. The couple’s unsteady income has made it difficult for them to financially support their son through his medical complications. Caleb was born without an anus, making it impossible for him to pass stool. Despite their financial straits, Caleb’s parents made sure that “right after birth he got a colostomy,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). A colostomy is a procedure during which an incision is made in the abdomen and the intestine or colon is routed to that opening, allowing the patient to relieve him or herself. However, colostomies are typically only temporary fixes for patients with Caleb’s condition. In order to achieve a more permanent means of passing stool, Caleb must undergo a procedure known as an anorectoplasty, or “pull-through” surgery. This operation will separate the urinary tract from the rectum, and create a new opening called a stoma, through which Caleb will be able to pass stool. AMHF reports that Caleb has already developed “inflammation around his colostomy site and is at a high risk of getting infections.” Thus, he needs this next surgery as soon as possible. Caleb’s parents have managed to raise $215 for their son’s operation, but need our help; their seven-year-old daughter recently fell and burned herself, so much of their money has gone towards her treatment. With an additional $1,260 Caleb will undergo his crucial “pull-through” operation, after which “he will be able to relieve himself normally and escape the risk of infection to which the colostomy site is prone,” explains AMHF. “We have only been able to raise a small amount of money, but without the whole amount, Caleb can't get treated. Please help make this treatment possible,” shares Caleb’s mother.