Grayson is a baby from Tanzania. Grayson is a six month old baby boy and the firstborn child to his young parents. Both parents finished their college studies last year. Grayson's mother studied business management while the father was a nursing students and he is currently volunteering at a local hospital in their village. Both parents do not current have jobs and are struggling to make ends meet to be able to support their baby. Grayson has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, Grayson has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Grayson will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,300 to cover the cost of surgery for Grayson that will treat his hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on August 24 and will drain the excess fluid from Grayson's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Grayson will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. Grayson’s mother says, “With no jobs, we are unable to afford our son’s treatment cost. His condition is worsening, please help us.”

Osborn is a 21-month-old baby from Uganda, and the youngest of two children. He enjoys playing around and running at home. A few days ago, Osborn burned his chest, abdomen, and hands, and is in a great deal of pain. He can no longer play as he used to. Both of Osborn’s parents work on a farm for income. Our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation explains, “His parents cannot afford his treatment because their source of income is not steady.” $609 will cover Osborn’s burn treatment. “These burn wounds will be cleaned and dressed every day. Osborn will be saved from the pain he has had for the last three days," the staff at The Kellermann Foundation shares. Osborn’s mother adds: “I look forward to the time when Osborn will play with his older brother."

Meet Dejeneba, a 26-year-old wife and mother of three living in Mali. Her husband works as a motorbike repair person and she used to wash clothing to earn money. Dejeneba can no longer work because of a growing infected ulcer on her right leg. Before visiting our partner, Project Muso, she sought care with a traditional healer who applied various mixtures to her wound, but the infection continues to worsen and is now in a severe state. "Deep skin infections like this can spread if untreated into the blood stream and lead to septic shock," explains our medical partner, Project Muso. "Definitive treatment will enable Djeneba to return to work and return to caring for her children." Her husband’s income is not enough to cover the basic needs of their children and pay for consistent care for Djeneba's wound. For $686, Dejeneba will receive lower extremity ulcer care which will prevent the wound from progressing further and allow her to continue with her daily life. “Djeneba and her husband hope that she will be able to receive definitive treatment so that she can return to her work washing clothes to support her family," says Project Muso. "And, so that she can better care for her children."

"As Angelina kept growing, so did the mass," says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). "Despite her condition, Angelina is an active and happy baby." Seven-month-old Angelina is from Tanzania, and was born with a closed myelomeningocele -- a mass on her lower back which can rupture anytime. If it were to rupture, AMHF tells us, the loss of cerebral spinal fluid would be life-threatening for her. For $1100, AMHF can operate on Angelina and remove the mass. She will no longer have the condition and her family will not need worry about a potential rupture. Her parents work hard selling maize and millet to support the family, but cannot come up with the funds for her surgery. “It is our great hope that our daughter will get the right treatment to remove the swelling on her lower back as it keeps growing bigger and bigger," says Angelina's mother. "We want her to be able to crawl, walk and continue with normal growth like the rest of our children so that later on she can also go to school."

"Moise is a smart little boy, he was okay when suddenly he became unable to walk," Moise mother says. A few months ago she noticed that her three-year-old son was having trouble supporting his head and moving on his own; she took him to our partners, Project Medishare in Haiti, and a CT scan revealed that Moise has hydrocephalus. Moise is the third born in his family and used to go to school and play with his siblings. His parents are poor farmers and they cannot afford the cost of the surgery Moise needs to recover. For $1260, Moise will receive a surgery that "will positively change his health condition," and remove the excessive fluids that are putting pressure on his brain. After the operation, Moise will resume healthy development and regain all of his faculties. His grandmother shares, "I am very happy because my little son is going to have the surgery to fix his condition, we don’t have the money and you provides care to him, thank you very much."

"Stael loves his pacifier, and won't let anyone take it out of his mouth for pictures!" shares our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance (HCA). Stael is not quite one-year-old and lives in central Haiti. He was born with a condition called ventricular septal defect - a hole between the two chambers of his heart. "Stael has suffered from shortness of breath, palpitations, and poor feeding ever since he was born," says HCA. "If left untreated, Stael's condition can lead to heart failure and become fatal." Stael has loving parents and two older brothers. Since Stael was born, his mother has stopped working in order to care for him, leaving the family with financial difficulties. Stael's mom tells us, “I am a little bit scared that my baby is having surgery, but I trust that God knows what’s best and that everything will go well!" Stael has received $5,000 toward the cost of heart surgery from a program called Open Hearts Haiti. All that's missing is the cost of getting him to surgery. For $1,500, we'll be able to pay for his overseas transport and prep, allowing him to receive surgery to close the hole in his heart.

This is Kamza, a sweet two-year-old from the Comoros Islands. She has congenital nevus on her scalp - a rare condition that presents as a dark-colored patch of skin at birth. These marks often become cancerous, and can be life-threatening if not treated properly. Kamza lives in Kenya with her two older siblings and parents, where she has received initial medical care and treatment. However, the scar remains on her scalp and may become malignant if left untreated. "I want my daughter to live a long and healthy life. I want her to go to school and play with other children," her mother shares. For $1,500, Kamza will receive surgery allowing her to grow up healthy, social, and strong. Let's help Kamza to grow and develop healthily!

Emiliana is a 52-year-old mother of three young school children fighting non-Hodgkins lymphoma. She has powered through most of her chemotherapy like a champ, and has just three more rounds to go before she is finished with treatment. Emiliana has a large and devoted family that has been able to scrape together enough cash to pay for her medical expenses so far, but their financial resources are now exhausted. Without medical insurance or a safety net to catch her, Emiliana is out of options. If Emiliana gets these last three rounds of treatment, she will have a fair shot at getting back to being the strong and healthy mother that her young children need. It’s up to us to make sure Emiliana makes it to the finish line. Let’s help her kick cancer’s butt!