Ibrahim is a 15-year-old student from Tanzania and the fourth born in a family of five children. His parents are small-scale farmers. Ibrahim has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, Ibrahim has been experiencing headaches, vomiting, and difficulty walking. Without treatment, Ibrahim will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,362 to cover the cost of surgery for Ibrahim that will treat his hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 22 and will drain the excess fluid from Ibrahim's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Ibrahim will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young man. Ibrahim’s father shared, “Please help us. The cost of treatment is very high and we cannot effort it. We would like to see our son get better and hopefully resume school."

Rehema is a child from Uganda who started school last year. She is the last born of four children to her mother. But her father has a total of eight children. Her parents are small-scale farmers and are not able to afford the treatment cost thus they are asking for help. Rehema was diagnosed with genu varus. Her legs bow so that her knees do not touch. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, the walks to and from school were becoming difficult for her. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Rehema. The procedure is scheduled to take place on July 23rd. Treatment will hopefully restore Rehema's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Rehema’s mother says, “I would like to see my daughter walking like her other siblings but the treatment cost is expensive and I can’t come up with the money, please help.”

Edwin is a fifteen year old boy from Kenya. He was brought by his mother to a medical camp organized by our partner hospital, Cure International. He is in the eighth grade and very bright. His mother is a housewife while the father is a mason. Edwin was born with a condition known as hemiplegia, a weakness that results from damage to the part of the brain that controls muscle movements. This damage may occur before, during or shortly after birth. Therefore, the entire left side of his body is weak and he cannot see with his left eye. He is currently not able to walk and he keeps falling. The condition is worsening and lowering his self-esteem which is affecting his schoolwork. He is an aspiring engineer but is worried that the condition will hinder him from achieving his goals. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, can help. They are now requesting your help to fund this $1,224 surgery that will repair a congenital foot deformity. “My prayer is for my son to receive help, undergo the surgery, and continue with his life like other children. I would love to see him healthy and able to pursue his dream. I would greatly appreciate any kind of help,” Edwin’s mother shared.

Kausali is an eight month old girl from Tanzania. She is an only child and her parents are small-scale farmers. Kausali has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in her brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Kausali has an increased head circumference and difficulty feeding. Without treatment, Kausali will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $802 to cover the cost of surgery for Kausali that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 22 and will drain the excess fluid from Kausali's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Kausali will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Kausali’s mother shared, “We don’t have the means to pay for our baby's important surgery, we are kindly asking for your help so that our daughter can have a chance to be well again."

Philip is a widower from Kenya. He is a quiet man who mostly keeps to himself and rarely shares his troubles and needs. His wife passed away in 2010 and he was left with four children to look after. But Philip now lives alone in a grass-thatched house and has four sheep. He does casual jobs and the little he earns enables him to buy food for himself. Philip recently slipped and fell while he was tending to one of his sheep. He fractured his left femur and because he is in pain he cannot walk or work. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On July 7th, Philip will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him walk easily again and he will be able to work again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,016 to fund this procedure. Philip shared, “I have been living a life that is not pleasing and my personal problems turned my children against me. This has been an eye-opener and I promise to make peace with my children after getting help with my broken leg.”

Byobusingye is a farmer from Uganda. He is married and a father to two children; a boy who is in senior six and a daughter who is in senior two. He and his wife earn a living through small-scale farming where he normally grows food crops for home consumption but often sells off the surplus to generate additional income to provide for his family. He has experienced swelling on his left side at the base of the neck for 8 years. The disfigurement makes him feel uncomfortable. He is also experiencing headaches and paralysis of the left side of his body. Byobusingye traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On July 7th, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Byobusingye needs help to raise $196 to fund this procedure. Byobusingye shared, “I know that God is with me and if I receive support to undergo surgery, I will be able to have a new life since I will be relieved from this condition.”

Glory is a three-year-old girl from Tanzania. She is the second oldest of three siblings. When Glory was one, her father noticed an unusual lump on the back of her neck. Since then, the lump has continued to grow in size. It was left untreated until recently, when Glory began to experience pain because of the swelling. Glory's father took her to their local hospital for assessment. There, they were referred to our medical care partner's care center. Doctors recommended that Glory should undergo surgery to remove the mass. If not, the mass would continue to grow in size, thus worsening the pain and swelling. Due to the family's limited income, Glory's father was not be able to afford the costs of treatment. As a solution, he sought help and began to work with our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Glory will be receiving surgery to remove the mass on her neck on January 31. AMHF is requesting $920 to help fund Glory's surgery costs, medications, and hospital stay. "I hope that the swelling will go down and my child will be able to do things like other children," says Glory's father.