Meet Eva, a beautiful two-week-old newborn from Tanzania! Her mother had a smooth delivery and is overjoyed with her new baby. Eva also has a sibling, and her family lives in a small, remote village. Eva’s family depends on small-scale agriculture for food and income. Unfortunately, agriculture has not been enough, and they are trying to find different sources of income, but with no success so far. Eva was born with clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape, which causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Eva’s mother shared concerns about the challenges Eva will face growing up. Eva’s family traveled to visit our medical partner’s care center; on May 5th, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $935 to fund Eva’s clubfoot repair. After treatment and with proper therapy, Eva can learn to walk as she grows. Eva’s mother says, “I am relieved to hear that my daughter has a chance to get treatment that will help with her condition. I hope she grows to face no stigma in her life.”

Sokry is a 23-year-old construction worker from Cambodia. He lives in Pursat province with his wife and 10-year-old son. His wife works in a local factory and his son is in fifth grade. In his free time, Sokry enjoys spending this time with his friends or helping his son with schoolwork. In June 2016, Sokry was in a motorcycle collision and suffered a compound fracture to his lower left leg (tibia bone). He went to an emergency clinic where doctors performed a surgical procedure to repair the fractured bone using hardware to stabilize and help heal his fracture. Unfortunately, the hardware has recently become exposed, leaving his bone unstable. Additionally, due to the exposed hardware, Sokry has developed an infection causing chronic pain that makes it difficult for him to walk and prevents him from working. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), are able to help Sokry. On April 21st, Sokry will undergo a hardware removal procedure. This procedure will remove the hardware from his leg, along with the infected tissue, which will allow him to walk without pain and return to work. CSC is requesting $304 to fund the procedure. Sokry shared, "After surgery, I hope the bone will heal and I will no longer have an infection. I need to work to feed my family."

Steeve is a 14-month-old toddler from Haiti. He is an only child and loved deeply by his mom and dad. Steeve 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, Steeve has been experiencing increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Steeve will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $897 to cover the cost of surgery for Steeve at Hospital Bernard Mevs that will treat his hydrocephalus. This is the only site in the country where this care is currently available and the procedure is scheduled to take place on September 19. This critical treatment will drain the excess fluid from Steeve's brain to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Steeve will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. Steeve's family is hoping that the surgery will stop the progression of brain damage from hydrocephalus. They are looking forward to watching their toddler grow older and are hopeful for healthier days ahead.