Kayden is an eight-month-old baby boy from Kenya. He is the second born in a family of two children. His mother works as a hotel attendant and is unable to afford the proposed surgery Kayden needs. Kayden was born with spina bifida, a type of neural tube defect in which the spine does not properly close around the spinal cord. His mother noticed the growing lump on his back and sought medical advice at a Catholic Medical Facility in Kariobangi, Nairobi, Kenya. There, she was referred to BethanyKids, where he was examined by the neurological team. Without treatment, Kayden is at risk of lower-limb paralysis, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, development of tethered cord syndrome, and possible developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1151 to cover the cost of Kayden's spina bifida closure surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on March 8th. This procedure will hopefully spare Kayden from the risks associated with his condition, allowing him to grow and develop along a healthy trajectory. Kayden's mother says, “His condition has caused me immense mental stress, which has resulted in an increase in my blood pressure. Due to this condition, I am forced to hide him from people. I hope he gets this treatment to be healthy again like kids his age.”

Meet Tevy, a 13-year-old student from Cambodia. She is in eighth grade, and her favorite subject is math. She has a younger brother in fourth grade, and her family lives four hours outside of the capital city in a sparsely populated town. Her parents work in the local government. In the future, Tevy hopes to become a teacher. Until then, her favorite activities in her free time are watching TV and eating her mom's amazing chicken recipes! Tevy was born prematurely and diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age three. She has had some physiotherapy but is currently finding it more difficult to walk due to her knee flexion, thus impacting her mobility. She also experiences social anxiety in school and around her peers. She visited our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), where the surgeons determined that an osteotomy and patella advance in both legs will help her walk without needing support. This will include lengthening the muscles behind the knees (the hamstrings and calf muscles) through an injection of Botox into the spastic muscle, causing it to partially relax as she heals. CSC is requesting $485 for this procedure, which covers the surgery, hospitalization, and post-op physiotherapy costs. Tevy's family has gathered $100 to contribute to her care. Tevy's father shared: "We are worried my daughter will stop going to school even though she is good in school. I hope she can walk better than before and continue her studies."

Allen is a 24-year-old woman from Uganda who runs her family’s retail shop. She is married, and her husband works as a driver in their village. Allen studied up to primary class seven and had to drop out due to a lack of school fees. Allen and her husband have two kids: a 3-year-old in preschool and a 1-year-old who has not started school yet. Allen visited our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), because she has swelling on her upper right arm. The mass appeared seven years ago but has slowly increased in size over time. She also experiences pain when she does strenuous work, which can get so bad that her hand becomes paralyzed and unable to hold things. This often happens when she is washing clothes. Allen traveled to AMH’s care center to receive treatment, and on May 3rd, surgeons will remove the mass. AMH is requesting $145 to fund her surgery. Allen shared: “I hope to get well through surgery. I believe I will be more productive. I will continue to run my family’s retail shop after recovery.”