Meet Vottana, a 10-year-old fourth grader who lives in Cambodia with her mother and older brother. She enjoys playing with toys, drawing pictures, and watching TV. “One year ago, Vottana began having nasal congestion, sneezing, and a runny nose,” explains our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC). “This has made breathing difficult for her and she is often sleepless at night. She also experiences headaches. She has been diagnosed with adenoid hypertrophy, an enlarged tonsil that obstructs the naval cavity.” Vottana needs a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, in which doctors will remove her enlarged tonsils and adenoids. According to CSC, this procedure will prevent Vottana’s nose from running and allow her to sleep better. $201 will also cover Vottana's hospital stay, along with all necessary antibiotics and post-operative care. “I am unhappy every day because I have a runny nose and this disrupts my studies,” shares Vottana. “I hope that after my treatment, my runny nose will stop, I can breathe easily, and sleep well at night.”

“I want to fly airplanes when I grow up,” says Erick, a shy eight-year-old boy who lives with his parents and younger sibling in Kenya. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us, “Erick’s urethral orifice is abnormally placed, and he has an irregular stream.” This condition, known as hypospadias, is characterized by a urethral opening on the underside of the penis instead of at the tip. “If not treated, Erick is likely to develop urinary tract infections and experience social stigma and infertility," AMHF shares. "Passing urine for him is challenge, and he has to crouch to keep from wetting his clothes.” Treatment for Erick is hypospadias repair, a procedure in which a surgeon takes tissue grafts from the foreskin to extend the length of the urethra, so that it opens at the tip of the penis. The cost of the surgery is more than Erick’s mother - a tailor, and his father - a construction worker, can afford. $655 will fund Erick's surgery as well as ten days of hospital care after surgery. “If treated, Erick will be able to pass urine normally,” says AMHF. “The treatment will also reduce the risk of infections.” “I am hopeful that he will get treated, and this will boost his esteem,” shares Erick’s mother.

Meet Rebecca, a baby girl from Tanzania. Rebecca is 13 months old, and the youngest of her family’s two children. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), shares that Rebecca enjoys playing with dolls and tins. Rebecca was born with meningocele and spina bifida -- a gap along the lower end of her spinal cord causing a mass to grow. AMHF explains that without treatment, Rebecca faces the risk of further neurological complications as she continues to develop. Rebecca’s parents, both small-scale farmers, earn a modest combined income that is not enough to cover the cost of the operation she needs. For $1,200, Rebecca will undergo surgery to treat her meningocele and spina bifida. This treatment will heal the mass on Rebecca’s back, preventing infection and reducing swelling in the area. AMHF tells us that Rebecca is an energetic baby and is already sitting, crawling, and kneeling. While she is still too little, Rebecca keeps trying to walk. With treatment, Rebecca will gain the strength to experience a healthy and active childhood.

Recently Lengai was bitten by a snake while exploring in the bush. "...ever since the incident the condition of his hand has been getting worse despite being taken to the local dispensary," AMHF writes. "Lengai’s mother has spent so much money that she can no longer afford to pay for further treatment of her son’s hand." Meet Lengai from Tanzania. He's four-years-old and the youngest of three children. Lengai's mother is a farmer and has been the sole caretaker of her children since her husband passed away two years ago. "Although he is shy and afraid of people he doesn’t know, he very quickly makes friends after sitting with a person for a while," the AMHF team tells us about Lengai. "He likes being close to his mother and when with children of his age, he likes to run around with them playing games that they know." $780 will cover the cost of an amputation of Lengai's little finger and skin grafting so that he will be able to have full function of his hand. Let's help this little guy out.