Albertina is a two-week-old girl from Tanzania, and the youngest child in her family of nine children. Her mother maintains their home and cares for the children, while her father works as a fisherman to provide for the family. Albertina was born with clubfoot on her left foot, a congenital condition in which the foot is turned inward. Without appropriate treatment, this condition can affect her ability to wear shoes and walk comfortably as she grows. Soon after her birth, Albertina's family was referred to our medical partner's care center, Kafika House, for assessment and treatment. The referral gave the family hope that their newborn daughter could receive the specialized care she needed. Albertina is scheduled for treatment, and will be fitted with a foot abduction brace (FAB), which she will wear as part of her treatment plan until the age of five to help prevent her clubfoot from recurring. The treatment will begin on October 20th, and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $341. After treatment, Albertina will have the opportunity for better mobility, and enjoying her childhood milestones. “We are grateful that our daughter has a chance to receive treatment, and grow up like other children,” said Albertina's mother.

Jeremia is an 11-month-old baby boy. He is the only child in his family and lives with both parents, who work as pastoralists. They keep cattle and occasionally cultivate maize during the farming season to support their family. Jeremia has clubfoot on both feet, a congenital condition in which feet are twisted inward. Without appropriate treatment, this condition can make walking difficult and affect his ability to wear regular shoes comfortably as he grows. When Jeremia was born, his parents were unaware that medical treatment could help correct the position of his feet. Hope came when the Kafika House outreach team visited their village and identified Jeremia as a child who could benefit from treatment. For his parents, this discovery opened the door to an opportunity they had not previously known was available. Following an assessment, Jeremia has been scheduled to begin clubfoot treatment on October 20th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $341 to fund Jeremia's clubfoot repair. After treatment, Jeremia will have improved mobility as he grows. “We are grateful for this opportunity to help our son walk comfortably,” says Jeremia's mother

Mesa is 10 years old and a Grade 4 student from Cambodia. He lives with his parents and younger brother in Kompong Spue Province. His parents run a small shop where they take photos for students and print documents. He enjoys math at school, looks after his younger brother, and plays football with friends in his village. His favorite meal is lemongrass sour soup with eggs. When Mesa was one year old, he was burned by hot water, causing an injury to his left hand. He received a skin graft to the back of his hand at a governmental hospital, followed by a release of the fourth web space about a year later. He has since developed burn scar contractures between the second, third, and fourth fingers. The scars between his fingers restrict the spaces between them and make it difficult for him to fully straighten his left-hand fingers. He sometimes struggles to hold objects, and the appearance of his hand makes him feel shy around other people. Mesa's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, and sought treatment. On September 15th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help open the tight spaces between his fingers and improve the movement of his left hand, making it easier for him to straighten his fingers and hold things. Now, he needs help to fund this $652 procedure. Mesa's father said, “I hope this surgery will help my son straighten his fingers and use his left hand more easily when holding things. I also hope that as his hand improves, he will feel less shy and more confident around other people.”