Kayden is an eight-month-old baby boy from Kenya. He is the second born in a family of two children. His mother works as a hotel attendant and is unable to afford the proposed surgery Kayden needs. Kayden was born with spina bifida, a type of neural tube defect in which the spine does not properly close around the spinal cord. His mother noticed the growing lump on his back and sought medical advice at a Catholic Medical Facility in Kariobangi, Nairobi, Kenya. There, she was referred to BethanyKids, where he was examined by the neurological team. Without treatment, Kayden is at risk of lower-limb paralysis, infection of the exposed nervous tissue, development of tethered cord syndrome, and possible developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1151 to cover the cost of Kayden's spina bifida closure surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on March 8th. This procedure will hopefully spare Kayden from the risks associated with his condition, allowing him to grow and develop along a healthy trajectory. Kayden's mother says, “His condition has caused me immense mental stress, which has resulted in an increase in my blood pressure. Due to this condition, I am forced to hide him from people. I hope he gets this treatment to be healthy again like kids his age.”

Shallot is a 28-year-old female farmer living in Southwestern Uganda. Her husband and three stepsons live on a small piece of land, where they raise crops to support themselves. The income generated from their farm helps pay for school tuition from her stepsons. Ten years ago, Shallot began to experience troubling symptoms, including substantial swelling around her neck. The village where Shallot lives is very remote, taking over two weeks for her to travel in order to seek medical care. However, six months ago, her symptoms worsened. She started experiencing neck stiffness and numbness and began having difficulty speaking and breathing. She visited several different health facilities. After multiple tests, she was diagnosed with an enlarged thyroid gland with nodules within it. Surgery was recommended, but Shallot was unable to move forward with the procedure due to a lack of funds. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Shallot receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on January 24th at AMH's care center, where surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. The procedure will cost $252 and dramatically improve Shallot's life. Shallot says, “I need your support, and I hope my health will get better after surgery.”

Huoy is a 18-year-old garment factory worker. Huoy has two brothers and one sister. Currently, Huoy lives with her mother who grows and sells vegetables. In her free time, Huoy helps her mom with housework and spends time on social media. In mid-December 2021, Huoy was in motorbike accident and fractured her left forearm. At a local hospital, she had a screw and plate fixed to the bone to heal her fracture. Now, The fracture has healed but she still have pain, and she is afraid it will get worse and affect her work. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), can help. On January 12th, Huoy will undergo a fracture hardware removal procedure, which will cost $304. Removal of the hardware will reduce pain, reduce risk of infection, and improve mobility and use of her arm. Huoy shared, "After the plate and screw are removed, I hope I can move my arm and work comfortably."