Keisha is a 5-month-old baby girl from Haiti. She is the first child of her parents. Keisha has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid - the fluid which surrounds the brain - accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. The accumulation of fluid has caused Keisha’s head to expand beyond a normal range. Without treatment, Keisha will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Keisha is scheduled for surgery to put a flexible plastic tube called a shunt in her brain to redirect the cerebrospinal fluid into another part of her body. Draining the excess fluid from Keisha’s brain will reduce the pressure and greatly improve the quality of her life. With proper treatment, Keisha will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Keisha is scheduled for surgery on December 8th at Hospital Bernard Mevs, the only site in the country where this care is currently available. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $957 to cover the cost of surgery. Her family is grateful Keisha is able to have surgery to prevent long-term damage to her brain.

Jim is a 21-year-old student from Uganda, confident, outspoken, and sociable. His father is a businessman, and his mother is a farmer. Jim is the second born in a family of four children, with two brothers and one sister currently studying. He is on school break from Senior six and hopes for the best exam results. He previously attended a local college, where he studied math, economics, and entrepreneurship with hopes of becoming an accountant. However, he is concerned about his parents' ability to afford university fees. In his free time, Jim enjoys playing football. Jim presented with a swelling at the back of his neck, which he has had for four years. This swelling causes paralysis of the neck and discomfort and prevents him from turning his neck sideways. It has significantly impacted his quality of life, causing him to no longer enjoy life as he should. Jim had never seen a doctor, but when the symptoms became severe, he sought medical attention. Jim traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On February 8th, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Jim needs help to raise $188 to fund this procedure. Jim says, “This swelling was never painful, but from the moment it started it feels very serious, and this makes me worried. I hope to get support and undergo my surgery. This will help me regain my future so as to continue studying in good health.”

Ramadhan is the 3rd born in a family of 4 from a small village in Kenya. Ramadhan's mother is the family's sole caregiver. Ramadhan was born with bilateral clubfeet, a condition where both of his feet were turned inward. This makes it difficult for him to walk, run around, or play like other children his age. Ramadhan walks with discomfort as a result of his bilateral clubfeet. He always admires his siblings running and playing football, and he wants to be able to play with them. Ramadhan is currently in the hospital undergoing serial casting, to soften the tissues in order to obtain better results after surgery. He is scheduled to undergo a surgery on both feet called bilateral posterior medial release on February 28th. The treatment will have a positive impact on Ramadhan's life because he will be able to walk, run, and play football like his siblings and friends. Our partner, African Mission Healthcare needs $1,224 to fund his surgery. Ramadhan's mother told us, “I am looking forward to see my son walking normally, running, playing football and going to school like other children."