Meet Titus! He is a one-year-old boy living in Kenya and is the youngest in a family of six children. Titus' parents work as casual laborers and can barely earn enough to support their family. Titus was born with hydrocephalus, an abnormal accumulation of fluid in his skull leading to increased pressure on his brain. A prior procedure was unsuccessful in relieving the pressure and he needs an additional surgery in order to prevent further complications. For $600, we can help Titus receive the endoscopic third ventriculostomy he needs for a chance at a normal, healthy life.

Melvin was born just nine months ago, and is his caring mother’s first child. After observing signs that he is malnourished and developmentally delayed, Melvin’s mother brought him to a clinic for treatment. Doctors suspect hypothyroidism, which can result in permanent brain damage if not treated. Melvin’s family is very poor and does not have access to pediatric care. For $250, we can fund lab studies and nutritional rehabilitation to help Melvin overcome his current nutritional deficits, resume development and grow up to be a healthy young man!

Bao is a 44-year-old woman from Burma who needs heart surgery. Bao takes care of her 67-year-old mother and her disabled younger sister. She earns a living as a farmer, but recently she has been dependent on her siblings to help support her due to her heart disease. Throughout her life, Bao has experienced fatigue and she is unable to “walk very far without experiencing heart palpitations and shortness of breath.” Because of her heart disease, Bao is unable to work to help support her family and pay for her medical bills. She “hopes to get well soon, be healthy and happy and normal.” For $2,000, we can fund Bao's cardiac surgery and help her regain a healthy and happy life!

Tha Zin is a nine-year-old girl from Burma, the setting of the world's longest-running civil war. Tha Zin was diagnosed with an orbital pseudotumor when she was six. Her parents took her to Yangon, the former capital of Burma, for surgery. Unfortunately, something went wrong in surgery, and afterwards Tha Zin's eye was even more swollen than before. For the next two years, Tha Zin's parents went into debt traveling to the capital every two weeks to get medication to manage their daughter's condition. Her eye has still not improved, and she's missed a year of school as a result. Quality medical care is scarce in Burma, but Burma Border Projects' partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, can facilitate Tha Zin's care in Thailand. It will cost $1500 to coordinate Tha Zin's surgery, which will either restore function to her eye, or remove it and enable her to continue with school. BCMF writes, "When we ask Tha Zin what she wants when she is older, she is very shy and does not say anything. However, later she comes up to a staff member and tells him that she would like to be a doctor." Let's help make that possible!

Catherine is a newborn baby who was born a few days ago to proud first-time parents in Uganda. Catherine was born with encephalocele, a rare condition that causes abnormal swelling at the back of her head. If left untreated, Catherine could grow up with developmental delays, paralysis, and other debilitating symptoms. Surgery at infancy is the only effective treatment for encephalocele. Immediately after Catherine’s birth, the delivering doctors insisted her parents take her to be seen at CURE. Catherine’s parents dutifully brought their daughter to CURE’s hospital, where surgeons believe that with treatment, there’s a good chance she can develop normally. Most people in Uganda live on less than $2 a day. The surgery Catherine needs costs $1500 – an unimaginable expense for her parents. We hope to cover the total cost of Catherine’s care at CURE and give her a chance at a normal, healthy life.

Piseth is a friendly father of four children, ages 6, 11, 14, and 18. Like many fathers around the world, Piseth’s children are his pride and joy. He dreams of them finishing school and having successful, happy lives. Piseth is having a hard time paying for their education right now, however, because of a long-standing hip injury that has left him with debilitating pain. Piseth used to work as a truck driver and farmer, but he can no longer work because he can only walk about 30 feet before it becomes unbearable. Piseth’s extended family has rallied around him to help pay for his children’s school fees while he is unable to work, but their resources are stretching thin. Piseth needs a bilateral total hip replacement. Surgeons at CSC can perform the operation for $1000, but Piseth cannot come close to being able to afford that kind of expense. We hope to raise the full amount needed for Piseth to have surgery, recover, and return to work so he can support his family and keep his kids in school.

Jane is a 53-year-old woman with multiple large tumors in her uterus. Jane’s tumors are benign, but they cause her severe abdominal pain, prolonged bleeding, and swelling, and make it difficult for her to walk. Luckily, doctors at African Mission Healthcare Foundation can remove Jane’s tumors. They believe that with surgery, they can “alleviate her pain, stop the prolonged bleeding, and restore her to a normal and productive life.” Jane and her husband have six children. Over the last ten years, Jane has sought treatment for her condition multiple times. Her local hospital gives her medication for her pain, but this has resulted in a cycle where Jane goes to the hospital, gets pain medication, and is forced to come back when the pain returns. Jane’s recurrent hospital visits are putting a financial strain on her family. Unable to work, she was forced to take out loans to keep her children in school. Jane loves her children and wants to see them become independent and successful. We hope to help Jane get the treatment she needs so she can keep her children in school and live a normal, healthy life.

Chanrith is an 11-year-old boy who broke his elbow three months ago. He was initially treated with traditional creams and a cast made of bamboo by a local healer in his village. Unfortunately, Chanrith’s elbow has set in the wrong place and he is now unable to bend his arm, which makes it nearly impossible to write at school, play with his friends, or live a normal 11-year-old boy life. Luckily, surgeons at Children’s Surgical Centre can reset and cast Chanrith’s fracture. This will enable him to heal properly and regain mobility in his arm. Chanrith is a smart boy. His favorite subject in school is math, and he hopes to be a car mechanic someday. Chanrith is excited to get treated so he can resume his everyday activities.