Ngabirano is a secretary from Uganda. She is a single mother to a ten-year-old son in third grade. She separated with her husband due to family negligence and domestic violence. She previously worked in a private secondary school but due to the COVID-19 lockdown schools have closed and she decided to turn to farming. She is now living in her childhood home and is the sole provider for her child's needs. Five years ago, Ngabirano began to experience troubling symptoms, including shortness of breath. She was diagnosed with a goiter, an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Ngabirano receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on July 7th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Ngabirano shared, “I pray that my surgery goes well so that I can continue to provide a brighter future for my son because he is all that I have.”

Oudam is a 10-year-old student. He is in the third grade at school, and loves to study writing. He lives with his parents and his younger sister. Since his parents separated a few months ago, his mother has been working hard at a factory to support her children. Oudam helps to take care of his sister. They learn and play together. Since he was young, Oudam has suffered from muscle spasms in his legs, causing him to put all of his weight on his toes. This has affected his ability to move his legs normally, and he has difficulty walking, running, riding a bike, or wearing shoes. His mother often has to take him to school on her bike. Luckily, his neighbor told him about Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). He traveled nine hours with his mother to receive treatment. Doctors will perform an achilles tendon lengthening procedure. This will allow him to distribute weight across his whole foot, giving him greater balance and ease of walking. After a physiotherapy program, Oudan will be able to walk normally. Oudan's mother shared, "I am happy we have the opportunity for this procedure and I hope that my son will be able to walk and run after he is better."

Meet Richard, whose doctors describe him as “a polite, happy and friendly three-year-old boy” from Tanzania. Richard lives with his father who works as schoolteacher, his mother who is a cashier at a local store, and his four siblings. An accident left Richard with elbow contracture release which is significant stiffness in an elbow that significantly decreases mobility. $550 will allow Richard to get the necessary treatment he needs so that he can stretch his arm straight, perform normal activities, and return to school. “We tried to take good care of our boy,” share his parents. “We made sure to take him for follow-up appointments but his arm still developed contracture. We hope that the surgery will straighten his elbow so that he can perform various activities will and be able to start school next year.”

This young girl is Mya, a three-year-old from Burma. Mya is happy and energetic, and adores her sister and four brothers. Mya gets upset when her brothers leave for school, and she even pretends to go with them by carrying her bag to the door each morning. Mya's father farms rice while her mother stays at home and looks after the children. The family also raises a few chickens and ducks for their own consumption. About a year ago, Mya developed a mass on her neck, which has since grown rapidly. The tumor presses on her neck and makes it difficult for her to breathe. Her family has traveled to various clinics to find affordable treatment, but have been unsuccessful. Fortunately, our medical partner Burma Border Projects (BBP) can remove Mya's tumor with a $1,500 procedure. Not only will the mass go away, but Mya will experience better breathing and overall health. Mya's doctor says, "She can continue to be a bubbly three-year-old and begin school in two years time, which she is already looking forward to." Let's make sure Mya is happy and healthy now, and soon enough she'll be happy and healthy and walking to school with her brothers.

Meet Bikash, a 13-year-old student living in Nepal. When not enjoying his Nepalese language class, Bikash likes to play cricket. As Bikash's doctor tells us, "Bikash was playing with his friends when he fell down and hurt his right hand. After the incident the base of his thumb remained deformed and he couldn't move it. It has made it difficult for him to eat or to write or do any other work." Bikash's accident left him with a dislocated 1st metacarpo-phalangeal joint on his right hand and in order to regain full mobility he needs surgery. Let's get Bikash the $205 he needs and get him back in school!

Meet David, a 34-year-old from Mali who lives a life full of drive and passion. David's day-to-day life has been difficult lately though, due to a chronic urinary tract infection which is blocking the passage of urine. David's lower abdomen is swelling more each day. This condition is not just painful - if untreated, it puts him at the risk of kidney failure and potentially life-threatening infections. David does not earn enough to fund his treatment. However, and his wife are optimistic people and they hope he will receive the healthcare he needs. For only $535, we can fulfill their hopes. Doctors at our hospital partner can perform a urethroplasty, which will allow the passage of urine. The treatment would allow David to go back to work and back to his family. It would also help prevent the development of life-threatening complications such as kidney failure or infection. Let's make it happen!

Say hello to Marie-Maude, a 38-year-old from Haiti. Marie-Maude needs our support to complete cancer treatment and get on with her life. Marie-Maude experienced the most difficult moment of her life several months ago. She was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has already had surgery, but now she needs radiation and chemotherapy to complete her treatment. Marie-Maude used to work as a house helper doing cleaning, washing, and cooking, but she lost her job when she got sick. Now, she tries to sell food and cosmetic products to earn her living. Despite her hard work, the cost of cancer treatment is beyond her reach. That's where we come in. For $1,500, Marie-Maude will receive radiation and chemotherapy. Her prognosis is good, and doctors expect she will make a full recovery if she can access this treatment. Let's help her out!

This is Pha Den, a lively three-year-old boy from Cambodia! Pha Den loves to eat fish soup and play with toys. In January of this year, Pha Den burned his hand when he was reaching into a rice cooking pot. He was immediately treated at a nearby clinic, but they were unable to perform the scar contracture release surgery that Pha Den needed. Now, we can help make it happen. To perform this surgery, a little bit of healthy skin from his hip will be used for skin grafts to give him the ability to extend his fingers. For $300, we can fund Pha Den's scar contracture release surgery so he can move his hand easily again!

Meet Indra, a 17-year-old girl from Nepal. She likes to play kabadi, an Indian form of wrestling, and wants to be an agriculture technician when she grows up. Indra also attends school and has some big exams coming up! Indra recently fell from a tree while collecting food for her family's buffalo, fracturing her ankle. The accident has distracted Indra from her studies. If left untreated, Indra's ankle wound can lead to skin infections, or worse, chronic osteomyelitis - a bone infection that many people with untreated fractures in this part of Nepal develop. For $1,495, Indra will receive surgery to treat her wound and relocate her bone fracture. Then she will be mobile, free from discomfort, and able to focus on school again!