Sylvia is a 14-year-old student and her favorite subjects in school are mathematics and chemistry. She shared that she would like to be a doctor in the future. Sylvia is the oldest child in a family of two. Her mother is a single mom and works hard as a laborer whenever she can get work. Sylvia has clubfoot of the left foot, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes her difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Sylvia to receive treatment. She visited AMH's care center where surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on July 6th. Now, AMH is requesting $1,286 to fund Sylvia's procedure. After treatment, Sylvia will be able to walk with ease and wear shoes. She will continue with her studies and hopefully achieve her dream of becoming a doctor. Sylvia shared, "my desire is to walk well like other girls and continue with school without any interruptions."

Samiri is a four-year-old boy and the only child of his single mother. His father is married to another woman and has two other children. Samiri's mother provides for their family through her work as a tailor. Samiri has not started school yet, but his mother would like to enroll him in kindergarten next year. Her hope is that Samiri's condition will be treated before he joins school. Samiri has been diagnosed with bilateral Genu Varus, which means that his legs are angled inwards at the knees. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, Samiri has difficulty walking. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Samiri. The procedure is scheduled to take place on September 14th. Treatment will hopefully restore Samiri's mobility, allowing him to participate in a variety of activities and greatly decreasing his risk of future complications. Samiri’s mother shared, "I can never find the money needed to cover my son’s treatment cost. I am struggling to even put food on the table for my son. Please help him."

Yorng is a 59-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She has five children and two grandchildren, and enjoys listening to the monks pray on the radio in her free time. Three years ago, Yorng developed a pterygium in her left eye, causing her irritation, blurring, and tearing. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Yorng learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. Yorng needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $201. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for June 3. She says, "I hope that after my operation I will be able to see clearly again and can return to my work on the rice farm."

Meet Rim, a 75-year-old woman from Cambodia. “Rim is married with three sons, four daughters, and 15 grandchildren. She enjoys visiting the pagoda and listening to monks pray," shares our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). Two years ago, Rim developed mature cataracts in each eye. A cataract occurs when a thin, cloudy layer forms over the eye’s lens. "This causes her blurred vision, discharge, tearing, and fear of bright lights. It is hard for her to see clearly, do work, or go anywhere outside," CSC explains. After learning about CSC, Rim and her son travelled two hours to visit their clinic. They learned that a simple surgical procedure may restore Rim's sight. With $292, Rim will undergo cataract surgery, during which her old lenses will be removed and replaced with sheer artificial implants, allowing her to see again immediately after her operation.

Win Tin is a nine-year-old girl who lives in Burma with her parents and her three younger sisters. About two years ago, a benign tumor began growing on the right side of Win Tin’s jaw line. Her parents called upon a medical shaman and other local healers before seeking a prognosis at a local clinic. At the clinic, a doctor took an x-ray and suggested attempting removal of what appeared to be a mass by incision and suction. Her parents are fearful of the concept of surgery and they left the clinic without Win Tin receiving treatment. A year later Win Tin complained of puss coming from her teeth. Shortly thereafter two of her teeth fell out. Now two years have lapsed and the size of the tumor had not decreased or increased, but Win Tin’s symptoms persist. The tumor is firm, her jaw aches, puss continues to emerge, and she experiences itchiness. She can, however, eat comfortably. Since Win Tin stopped attending school two years ago, her mother often must stay home and she has been working less. Because symptoms have persisted for so long, the parents decided it was time to seek professional medical treatment. Win Tin's parents are agricultural workers, and their income fluctuates from month to month. They've accepted that their daughter needs surgery to remove her tumor, but cannot afford to pay for it. "I want to be secondary school teacher when I grow up," Win Tin shares. For $1,500, we can fund surgery to remove Win Tin's tumor, allowing her to continue her education.

Meet Ann, a 36-year-old wife and mother of six children from Kenya. To support her family, Ann “cleans houses and washes clothes for people,” shares our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Additionally, “Ann and her husband are both casual workers and do whatever manual job they can find.” However, recently Ann has been unable to work due to symptoms from an ovarian cyst. Over the past two years, Ann has experienced increasing pain in her abdomen. Upon traveling to an AMHF clinic, “Ann was informed that she had a pelvic mass and an ovarian cyst, and was advised on the need for surgery.” Ovarian masses are fluid-filled cysts attached to the ovary. Typically, these masses are benign and will disappear after a few months. In more severe cases, however, the cysts can grow and develop over several years—thus causing health complications whereby the masses can “turn cancerous” or even “break open,” explains AMHF. $620 will fund a laparotomy—a surgical procedure that involves cutting into the abdominal cavity to remove the cysts currently growing in Ann’s ovaries. This process will prevent the tissue from growing back in the future, giving Ann more peace of mind. Included in her treatment, Ann will receive three days of hospital care and all of the laboratory tests and medication required for a safe operation. AMHF expresses, “We expect that after surgery and recovery, Ann will be able to go back to work with her husband.” “I thank God that he guided us to AMHF where we have met you and will get assisted. All I want is to have my wife well again,” Ann’s husband states.

Meet Aydarus, a 26-year old man living in Somaliland. He sustained severe burns in an accident, and has had to travel 16 hours round-trip to receive constant treatment in the last year, including skin grafts. Aydarus needs further medical care, but is unable to afford it since he hasn't been able to work since his accident. For $1,500 he will receive the care his wounds need as well as have his bilateral axillary contractures released, which will allow him to "be able to move his arms more freely...and therefore obtain more autonomy in his daily living" shares our partner, Edna Adan Hospital (EAH). “Aydarus is looking forward to the end of his treatment so he can start 'fresh,'" adds EAH. Let's help him get there!

Meet Lyna, an adorable 3-year-old girl from Kenya. Lyna is currently living with a brain tumor, which causes her intense headaches, double vision, and problems with balance. Lyna is raised by a single mother and grandparents who cannot afford treatment, but love her dearly and pray for her return to health. "She is my only child, and I pray that she gets treatment as soon as possible," says her mother. In order to remove the tumor, doctors will need to perform a craniotomy on Lyna. The cost of the surgery is $1,260. Lyna's doctors are optimistic; our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, shares, “It is expected that Lyna’s vision will improve after the surgery, and she will live a happy and normal life.”

Juvensio is an energetic one-year-old who lives with his mother in Zambia. He was born with spina bifida, a dangerous condition which leaves the spine protruding in a fluid filled sack on his back, which makes Juvensio susceptible to infection and spinal cord damage. Bernadette, Juvensio's mom, is certain that her baby boy is going to be a great man some day. Even when family and friends suggested she abandon Juvensio, Bernadette stood up to them. The benefits of addressing Juvensio's condition are promising, he would be less susceptible to infection, spinal damage, and no longer be at risk of fatality. The cost of the procedure, called a meningocele repair, is out of reach for Juvensio and his mother. With $2000 we can help Juvensio move on with his life. We can give him the opportunity to make his loving mother's dreams for him come true: to become a great man.

Say hi to Blessing! She is a sweet six-year-old from Kenya who lives with her grandmother, a peasant farmer. Since Blessing was born, she has experienced constipation and problems passing stool - symptoms of Hirschsprung's disease. She received a colostomy which as caused stool leakage and could lead to infections. Blessing has become very withdrawn and self-conscious because of this uncomfortable and painful condition. Her parents left her because of her medical problem, and the meager income Blessing's grandmother earns from her farm is not enough for her granddaughter’s treatment. For $1,500, Blessing will receive a reconstructing abdominoperineal pull through and colostomy closure so she can finally pass stool normally. Blessing's grandmother says, “I feel a lot of pain when I see my granddaughter suffering, and I pray that she may get treatment soon so that she can live a healthy life.” Let's answer her prayers while giving Blessing the ability to live a healthy and normal life!

Meet Laurie, a sweet 15-year-old from Haiti. She lives on an island off the coast of the mainland with her parents and several younger siblings. She's in the eighth grade, and loves playing with her classmates at school. Unfortunately, Laurie is living with a heart condition called patent ductus arteriosus, where a hole in the heart which normally closes after birth remains open. As a result, not all of the blood that circulates through her body passes through her lungs to obtain oxygen, and she is frequently out of breath and fatigued. Without surgery, this condition could be fatal. Because she lives on a remote island off of Haiti, her family cannot afford both the travel and the treatment for Laurie. This is where we come in! For $1,500, Laurie will receive surgery to repair the hole in her heart and allow her to live a long and healthy life. "I am excited to have surgery because I don't like being tired all the time and want to be normal like all of my classmates," Laurie says. Let's help Laurie regain her energy, her time spent with friends and family, and her health!

Dila Devi is a beautiful 25-year-old woman who is living in severe pain because of kidney stones. Because Dila Devi’s husband works in India, she has to take care of her children on her own, with help from her brother-in-law. But the pain from her condition is making it impossible for her to keep up with her kids. For $765, we can fund Dila Devi’s surgery so she can continue taking care of her children without any pain. Let's help this young mom be the energetic caretaker she wants to be!