Tina is a 28-year-old farmer who is married and has one son. He likes to watch boxing on TV and feed his chickens at home. In May, Tina was in a motor vehicle accident that caused a brachial plexus injury (BPI) on his right side. A BPI occurs when nerves in the back are damaged or ripped from the spinal cord. Tina went to a hospital in Phnom Penh for treatment, but his symptoms did not improve. He became unable to extend his right elbow and wrist, and he was in pain. Tina was referred to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), by the hospital in Phnom Penh. He traveled for five hours with his older brother to reach CSC for treatment. On December 13, surgeons performed a BPI repair surgery on Tina's right side to allow him to use his arm easily again. Now, CSC is requesting $450 to fund this procedure. "I hope that my right arm can function well again," says Tina.

Kyampeire is a 20-year-old woman from Uganda who is expecting her first child."Her baby has, however, presented in breech, making a natural delivery dangerous for both mother and child," our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. "From the time she was six months pregnant, she experienced severe abdominal pain," AMHF shares. After visiting multiple clinics and taking medicine, the pain still persists. Breech presentation is a positioning of the baby in the womb feet or buttocks first rather than head first, which is the safest position. It occurs in every four out of 100 births. In this situation, Kyampeire will need a C-section to safely deliver her baby. A natural birth for a baby with breech presentation can greatly increase the chance of mortality for the mother and baby. With a C-section, the risk is reduced and the baby will be born safely. When she first found out that she would need a C-section, Kyampeire felt stranded. Her husband works as a "bodaboda", or a motorbike taxi operator, but his income alone is not enough to cover the cost of Kyampeire's procedure. Fortunately, $160 covers the cost of the entire procedure, four days in the hospital, and any necessary medications. "Kyampeire's baby shall be saved from any danger at birth," AMHF reports. With our support, Kyampeire will be able to welcome her baby to the world without worrying about her safety or its safety during delivery. "I hope to return home with my baby safe and alive," Kyampeire shares with us.

Meet Cristian, an eight-month-old boy from Guatemala. Cristian is the only child of two loving parents. According to our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), Cristian’s father is a day laborer and his mother weaves textiles to sell at a market. To supplement their income, they also tend to a small corn field near their house. Cristian is acutely malnourished. Due to his condition, “Cristian has diarrhea and a fever, and his height and weight are far below the average for his age,” WK shares. “His parents cannot afford to pay for medication or hospital visits and so without intervention his health will continue to decline.” A healthy diet is essential for normal childhood growth--supporting both physical and cognitive development. With this condition, Cristian’s immune system may also diminish, exposing him to risk of infection. For $535, Cristian will be treated for acute malnutrition. He will receive nutritional supplements and medication to treat and prevent gastrointestinal infections causing his diarrhea. Cristian’s mother will also participate in intensive nutrition education courses--teaching her how to better care for her son’s nutritional needs. WK states that with the proposed treatment, “Cristian will begin to recoup the height and weight he has lost, will avoid the long term effects of malnutrition, and develop the ability to concentrate and eventually succeed in school and the work force.” "I want to learn all I can to help my first child," Cristian’s mother shares, "so that I can then help others and prevent malnutrition in the future.”

Esther is a lovely little girl of three months, one of three children. Esther’s mother attends vocational school, and runs a small business as a street vendor. Esther was born with a mass at waist level, that attaches to her spinal cord, a condition called spina bifida. The mass can damage Esther's nerves, and could lead to paralysis. As is common with kids born with spina bifida, Esther also lives with hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid in her brain. This buildup places extra pressure on the nerves and blood vessels in her brain, and she is at increased risk of a stroke or vision loss. For $1,260 dollars, Esther will receive surgery to remove the mass from her back and drain the excess fluid from her skull. She will be at considerably less risk of paralysis or nerve damage. Let's work together to help improve Esther's quality of life!

Meet Dil Bahadur, a 16-year-old boy who lives in Nepal with his family of seven. Dil Bahadur is an extremely bright student who wants to be a teacher when he grows up. His favorite sport is volleyball. As the youngest in his family, Dil Bahadur helps maintain the house while his parents are at work in the fields. 
For the past six months, Dil Bahadur has been in and out of school because of chronic kidney disease. His face first started swelling, then the rest of his body became swollen. He also experiences muscle tremors. If untreated, his kidney disease can be fatal. For $1,490, Dil Bahadur will receive medication and his first round of dialysis. The referral hospital will also provide him free dialysis after this first round if he qualifies. Let's help Dil Bahadur continue his studies, so that he can continue to pursue his dream to become a teacher!

Friends and neighbors came together to help two-month-old Abebe's parents bring him to our medical partner's hospital because he was born without an anal opening. Abebe is currently functioning with an emergency hole through his stomach. But if this continues, he may be prone to infections and other dangerous complications. He needs immediate surgery to get him out of harm's way and set him up to live a healthy life. Our medical partner tells us that Abebe's mother “wants her son to be able to live a normal life like other children." For $1,500, we can fund Abebe’s surgery and make his mother's hopes a reality.

Noah is 11 years old and lives in Kenya with his parents and five siblings. His family owns an acre of land, which they farm to supplement their income. Noah is living with a brain tumor that gives him headaches and causes vomiting. This has made it hard for him to do daily activities and increases his risk of permanent brain damage and death. Noah’s father says, “I hope that my son can get treatment so that he can live a long and healthy life.” For $1,500, Noah can receive a craniotomy to remove the tumor. Let's help Noah get rid of his headaches and live a more normal life!