George is a 10-year-old boy from Kenya who enjoys playing and learning new things. His mother is a casual worker who earns a small and irregular income from activities such as selling fruits. Her income is often barely enough to meet the family’s basic needs. George was born unable to perceive sound, which has made it difficult for him to make friends and participate in school. He has learned to lip read to communicate, but the limitations have left him feeling isolated in the classroom when the teacher addresses him but he cannot understand what is being asked of him. Doctors have recommended that George be fitted with hearing aids. They would give him an opportunity to improve his ability to access sound and communication, participate more meaningfully in school, interact with his peers, and communicate more easily with his mother and those around him. Fortunately, our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) can help. George is scheduled to be fitted with hearing aids on October 2nd, and he and his family need your help raising $1,171 in order to fund the devices. Hearing aids could help restore George's confidence and give him renewed hope for his education and future. "The hope of one day hearing my son call me ‘Mom’ has been restored,” George’s mother shared.

Mohamed is a five-year-old boy from Mali. He lives with his parents and two older siblings. Mohamed's problems started when he began to experience swelling and discomfort in the roof of his mouth. Over time, the swelling worsened, prompting his family to visit our medical partner's care center, Hôpital du Mali. Doctors discovered a mass on the roof of Mohamed's mouth, which was investigated and found to be a nasopalatine duct cyst. These cysts are non-cancerous, but carry several risks if not removed. If the cyst is allowed to continue to grow, it could displace Mohamed's teeth and put pressure on his nasal passage, causing difficulty eating and breathing normally. Nasopalatine duct cysts can also become infected, causing further pain. Fortunately, Mohamed is scheduled to undergo cyst removal surgery on September 8th. Our medical partner, Muso, is requesting $1,120 to cover the total cost of Mohamed's procedure and care. Mohamed's parents shared, "Once the cyst is removed, we hope that Mohamed will be able to resume his daily activities free of the uncomfortable symptoms. We hope the swelling will be gone."

Sopheara is a nine-year-old student from Cambodia. He is the only child in his family and lives with his parents, who are rice farmers. He enjoys reading and writing Khmer and likes making toy cars in his free time. His favorite foods are fried pork and chicken. He wishes to be an architect when he grows up. Sopheara was born with unilateral incomplete cleft lip and cleft palate. He underwent surgery for the condition, but there is still a gap in his gums that affects his eating, speaking, and symmetry of his face. Sopheara needs surgery to close the gap. Fortunately, Sopheara visited our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for further treatment. There, surgeons will perform an alveolar bone graft procedure on September 8th. CSC is requesting $665 to fund Sopheara's treatment and care. After treatment, the alveolar bone graft (ABG) will help fill the gap in his gum and support the development and stability of his upper jaw. It may also make eating and speaking more comfortable and improve the appearance and symmetry of his smile as he continues to grow. Sopheara's mother said, “I am happy that my son can receive this surgery. I hope the bone graft will help repair his gum and support his teeth as he grows. I want him to have a healthy smile and feel confident when he goes to school and meets other people.”