Ignitius is a 12-year-old boy - the second in a family of four siblings in junior secondary school, grade seven. His elder sibling has just completed class eight; the rest are in primary school. He dropped out of school in grade four and went to look for a job as a house helper to support the family. Ignitius' father does any casual job available to bring food to the table for his family. Ignitius' mother is also a simple laborer. She works on other people's farms where she digs, weeds, and sometimes washes clothes for a small wage. They have a small piece of land where they have kept two goats and three chickens. They reside in a three-roomed timber house and have a small kitchen built of poles. It was late in the evening on November 16th. His mother sent him to the nearest open-air market to buy cabbage and potatoes. Unfortunately, he was hit by a speeding motorbike, which disappeared immediately after the accident. His parents were informed of the accident over the phone. They rushed him to a clinic, where they were referred to Maua Hospital. He arrived to the hospital with an open tibia fibular fracture and was in much pain. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Ignitius receive treatment. On November 17, surgeons will perform surgery to restore his limb function. Now, Ignitius and his family need help to fund this $741 procedure. Ignitius' father says, "Please help my son; he is in deep pain. Kindly help us to fund the surgery costs."

Dane is a studious fourth-grader. She and her family live in Banteay Meanchey province, where her parents sell spices at the local market. She has a 7-year-old sister in second grade. At school, she likes Khmer history, mathematics and likes reading books. She hopes to continue her education and be a teacher some day. Three years ago, Dane and her younger sister's hands and legs were burned from a gas explosion. Despite receiving burn care at a local pediatric hospital, numerous burn scars persist on her hands and her legs, especially on Dane's right fingers. This condition significantly hampers her overall hand function. She is unable to grasp objects and has one affected finger that is nonfunctional. The visible effects of her hand condition contribute to her feelings of embarrassment. She has difficulty writing and is shy in school. When Dane's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for six and a half hours seeking treatment. On January 30th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help her use her fingers and hand more efficiently. Now, her family needs help to fund this $495 procedure. Dane said: "I hope I can use my fingers after this operation, and can hold things better in school."

Ramal is a 5-month-old baby from Kenya and the only child in his family. His parents separated before he was born. Ramal lives with his mother and great-grandparents. Ramal’s great-grandmother works jobs on people’s farms to earn a living, while his mother does laundry and also works casual jobs to provide for the family. Ramal’s family does not have NHIF coverage and needs assistance raising the required amount for Ramal’s hospital bills. Ramal was born two months early at seven months of pregnancy and was admitted to the nursery for two months. While in the nursery, the doctors noticed his head increasing in size, and upon close examination, he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus. When he was discharged, the doctors referred the family to another hospital in their home county for treatment. His mother gathered some funds and took him to the hospital, where he was booked for clinics and waited for surgery. This continued for a few months until a doctor referred them to our medical partner’s care center for treatment. Once arrived, an urgent shunt insertion surgery was scheduled. Ramal has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result, Ramal has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Ramal will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $720 to cover the cost of surgery for Ramal to treat his hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on November 15th and will drain the excess fluid from Ramal’s brain, thus reducing intracranial pressure and greatly improving his quality of life. With proper treatment, Ramal will develop into a strong, healthy young boy as he grows. Ramal’s mother said, “This condition is something that we have never seen before. This made us worried for Ramal’s health.”