Hassan is an only child whose parents separated before he was born. Prior to his birth, Hassan's mother worked alongside his grandmother, doing farm work to earn income. After Hassan was born, his mother had to stop working so she could take care of him. Hassan was diagnosed with spina bifida at birth, a condition that occurs when a developing baby's spinal cord fails to develop or close properly while in the womb. Hassan had a swelling on his back that was open and leaking. He was admitted in hospital for a few days while his mother was taught how to dress the wound. An MRI and a CT scan were done and he was scheduled for surgery weeks later. While home, his mother continued with the wound dressings as instructed until the leaking stopped. During one of the post-natal clinics, Hassan and his mother were referred to our medical partner's care center, BethanyKids, for treatment. Upon arrival at BethanyKids, Hassan was examined and was additionally diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a build up of fluids in the brain. He was then scheduled for a spina bifida repair surgery, and the mother was told that once he recovered, he would be scheduled for a shunt insertion surgery. Due to financial challenges and a loss of income for Hassan's mother, the family is unable to meet the medical expenses. Without treatment, Hassan is at risk of lower-limb paralysis, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, development of tethered cord syndrome, and possible developmental delays. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Hassan receive treatment. On March 15th, surgeons at BethanyKids will conduct a spina bifida closure surgery to promote Hassan's healthy growth and development. Now, Hassan's family needs help to fund this $1,151 procedure. Hassan’s mother says, “A while back, I had already given up on Hassan's treatment. Because the community had never seen such a condition, I was told that I would always get children who have different medical conditions. After coming to this facility, I realized that this was not the case. My hopes were raised again and now I’m looking forward to the best outcome in Hassan’s treatment.”

Evalyne is a 30-year-old mother from Uganda. After completing college, she pursued a course in tourism and hotel management, working in this industry until the Covid-19 pandemic. She now engages in small-scale farming to earn a living. Evalyne is married and has one child. Her husband sells soft drinks to support the family. Evalyne is expecting her second child and doctors recommend that she deliver via a Caesarean section because of a high-risk pregnancy. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Evalyne undergo a C-section on April 18th, at Karoli Lwanga Hospital, Nyakibale. This procedure will cost $252 and Evalyne needs your support. Evalyne says: “I will be very privileged once I am considered for this surgery to deliver my baby well. I want to be able to resume farming after surgery.”

Tha is a 63-year-old grandfather. He is a rice farmer and lives in Kampong Speu province with his wife and one daughter. They have two sons, five daughters, and six grandchildren. His wife watches most of the grandchildren and makes sure they get to school. His daughter works in a garment factory and helps with cooking. At home, Tha enjoys listening to radio news or monks' prayers. Five months ago, Tha developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him blurry vision and difficulty seeing in bright or low light. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on his own. When Tha learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On January 24th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Tha said: "I feel bad and it is hard to even see the faces of my family clearly, I hope after surgery my eye can see better and I can go back to growing rice."