Samuel is a toddler from Ethiopia. He is the second child and loves playing with his older brother. He also loves to take milk and Plumpy Nuts, a nutritional treatment donated by the government for malnourishment, as many children in Samuel’s area experience malnutrition. Samuel’s parents separated, and he, along with his siblings, is being cared for by his mother. She works in the community market, which is a community-organized venture that operates one day a week. On the other days, his mother buys and sells bread from bread makers for a profit. Due to the area’s high poverty levels and rocky topography, drought and water shortages limit food production, so many families receive food donations of maize and wheat from the government, which also helps Samuel’s mom support her family. Samuel was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. His mom brought him to a local health center, where he was referred to the hospital. Unfortunately, before treatment could begin, war broke out and forced Samuel and his mother to return home without any treatment. Samuel’s mom has been deeply concerned about his health. However, she was filled with hope after meeting with a social worker from our medical partner’s care center and learning that Samuel’s condition is treatable. With that hope, she traveled three days to the care center for Samuel's surgery. Samuel is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on December 12th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $1,293 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of infertility. Samuel’s mom said, “I hope I will see my child healed and pass urine just like other children.”

Six year old John is active and jovial. His father passed away two years ago, and now John lives with his mother in an urban area in Kenya. When John entered first grade, his teacher noticed that he had difficulty hearing him in class. He contacted John's mother, and advised her to take John in for an evaluation. However, John's mother struggles to support herself and her son with her work washing clothes, so she was not able to take John to the doctor. A benefactor offered to pay for John to be evaluated, but when it was determined that he would benefit from having hearing aids, the benefactor could not afford to pay for John to have them. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is seeking $1,171 to cover the costs of John's hearing aids and care, which he will receive from AIC Kijabe Hospital. With your help, John will be able to participate fully in school, and in the life around him. John’s mother says: “All I want is for my son (John) to be able to hear well. I have struggled with hearing loss since birth too, and I know how it feels.”

Witneyla is an 11 month old infant from Haiti. She is cared for by her single mother, who loves her very much. She has no brothers or sisters. Witneyla has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Witneyla has been experiencing increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Witneyla will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $957 to cover the surgery for Witneyla at Hospital Bernard Mevs, which will treat her hydrocephalus. This is the only site in the country where this care is currently available, and the procedure is scheduled for September 18th. This critical treatment will place a shunt to drain the excess fluid from Witneyla's brain to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Witneyla will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Her mother is hopeful that this surgery will allow her child to grow up healthy.

Jackson is a 28-year-old young man from Kenya. He is the second born in a family of three children and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, which caused paralysis on one side of his body. He lives with his parents in a rural county. His father is a pastor at a small church in their hometown, and his mother is a homemaker. He loves to learn and was sponsored to take a computer-networking course at a local technical institute in the capital city. On July 29th, Jackson was involved in a road traffic accident that caused a fracture on his left leg. He was hit by a speeding vehicle along a busy highway as he was trying to cross the road. He was rushed to a nearby local hospital where an x-ray revealed a broken bone that needed surgery. He had a cast applied and requested to return to the facility once he raised the amount needed for the surgery. Jackson is currently confined to a wheelchair and unable to walk on his own. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) can help. On August 3rd, Jackson will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. The procedure will relieve him of pain and help him walk easily again. He will also be able to resume his studies. AMH is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Jackson says, “I can feel the bones pricking my legs from the inside. I cannot walk, and I am in pain. I have so far missed my classes because of the accident.”

Rose is a 25-year-old woman from Haiti. She lives with her older sister and her family in a small community in southwest Haiti. When Rose was a teenager, one of her heart valves was severely damaged due to an infection. This caused a condition known as rheumatic mitral valve regurgitation, where Rose's heart cannot adequately pump blood through her body, leaving her weak and short of breath. She had to pause her college education due to her condition but hopes to restart school when she is healthy. On July 24th, Rose will undergo cardiac surgery in the United States. During the procedure, surgeons will remove Rose's damaged valve and implant an artificial replacement. Another organization, Baylor Scott and White Heart Hospital, is contributing $20,000 to pay for Rose's surgery. Rose's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep and follow-up. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, checkup, and followup appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Rose's family overseas. Rose shared with us: "I am so happy to be able to have this surgery so that I can start living more normally and thinking about my future!"

Thaw is a 5-year-old boy who lives with a large family in Burma. His whole family works as agricultural day labourers. He has not yet started his schooling because he is young and because of his health condition. Thaw enjoys playing with other children in their neighborhood. He also enjoys practicing writing the Burmese alphabet, which his brother has taught him. Thaw was born with a congenital condition affecting his lower digestive tract. He underwent surgery a few days after he was born and again when he was two years old. Now the doctor wants to perform a reverse colostomy, an operation to improve the function of his lower digestive tract. Our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of Thaw's surgery scheduled for June 12th. Thaw's father said, "Both us [my wife and I], have to watch him constantly because we are worried that he will get an infection... Currently, half of our income goes towards his medical expenses, which makes it difficult for our family to survive."

Evans is a 22-year-old from Kenya who just completed his training as a plant operator with the National Youth Service. He will be looking for jobs as a plant operator but is currently unable to work and depends on his parents for support. His mother is a hairdresser, and his father is a casual laborer. Evans was in a bad accident in April and had to use his mother’s medical insurance, but their coverage is now exhausted. Evans shared that he has a large medical bill that they are struggling to raise money for, and he still needs to undergo two more procedures and is requesting financial support. On April 30th, Evans was involved in a road accident while traveling for a site-seeing visit that caused him to sustain hip and wrist fractures. The bus he and the other youth members from his church were in was involved in a head-on collision with an oncoming truck that was speeding. Evans has undergone multiple surgeries, including ex-fixator placement for a pelvic fracture, laparotomy surgery, and minor bowel repair surgery. His treatment journey is ongoing, with two more fracture repair surgeries scheduled. Currently, it is difficult for him to walk or use his left hand; he is bedridden and in chronic pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On May 16th, Evans will undergo a fracture repair procedure called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help him walk, sit, and restore grip on his hand. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Evans says, “I am lucky to be alive. It is a miracle considering the magnitude of the accident. I hope to walk again and be a productive citizen now that I have recently finished my training.”

23-year-old Josephine and her two siblings live with their mother in Kenya and participate in small-scale farming for home consumption. Josephine has no source of income but is hoping to pursue a course in hairdressing. On April 16th, 2022, while planting corn on their farm, Josephine slipped and plunged into a hole she hadn't seen. She sustained a fracture in her right leg and surgery was performed to stabilize the bone and help the fracture heal. Two months after the surgery, Josephine started noticing pus accumulating in the affected area. She returned to the hospital and was treated, but her condition did not improve. In October 2022, doctors noted that the hardware that had been placed in Josephine's leg to stabilize the bone had actually caused an infection. Despite the removal of the hardware, the infection has persisted. Josephine has a large mid-diaphyseal sequestrum. This means that her femur bone is infected. As a result, she is unable to use her right leg to walk. If left untreated, the infection can spread, and potentially result in an amputation. With the assistance of our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, Josephine has been scheduled for a Right Femur Sequestrectomy and Exfix to clear the infection and strengthen the bone, allowing it to heal completely. The surgery, which will take place at AIC Kijabe Hospital on April 17th, will enable Josephine to walk easily again so that she can farm and pursue the course in hairdressing. She and her family need your help to raise the $1,500 to fund her treatment. Josephine says, “I want to go to college and do a course in hairdressing. I am unable to pursue this dream since I have a broken bone that needs to be attended to.”