Kenay is a sweet eleven-month-old baby boy from Ethiopia who loves to play with his mom. He is the fourth child of his parents. Kenay has started weaning and is eating Plumpy Nut, a nutrition supplement donated by the government and organizations to children with malnutrition, as Kenay was underweight. Kenay’s dad is a farmer and has land, but because of the drought, they couldn’t harvest enough, even for the family’s consumption. Initially, Kenay got his emergency colostomy from Sekota Hospital, which was supported by the community. However, he became so sick and underweight that his mother and some family members lost hope in his ability to survive. Fortunately, his mom heard about our medical partner’s care center, BethanyKids, from a social worker, and upon learning that they could get treatment for his condition, their hope increased. Bethany Kids covered the family’s transportation and accommodation to bring Kenay to the hospital, where the medical team first put him on a nutrition program for over four months to treat malnutrition. Now, Kenay’s weight is normal, and he is fit for surgery. Kenay was born with an anorectal malformation, a congenital abnormality that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. He needs to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate bowel dysfunction. The long journey with multiple issues with his colostomy care has significantly impacted the psychological health of his parents, and they are requesting financial assistance with his surgery cost. Kenay is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct his condition on November 22nd. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $1,500 to cover Kenay’s procedure and care costs. After his recovery, Kenay will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. Kenay’s mom said, “I hope my child will get treatment, and I hope he will heal after the treatment. I hope I will see him growing up and start a decent life.”

Hla is a 42-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her husband in a village in Bago Division. Hla and her husband are farmers. In early of September 2023, Hla felt a small lump in her right breast. As the lump was not painful and did not cause her any discomfort, she did not seek treatment until the mass started to increase in size. She received an injection from a village health worker, but the mass continued to grow and eventually became slightly painful. Hla experiences slight pain and discomfort in her right breast. Hla sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is now scheduled to undergo mass removal surgery on December 12th. She is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Hla said, "Since my condition has worsened, I cannot help my husband much on the farm. I mostly stay at home and do some household chores. To come to Thailand, I had to borrow money from our neighbors and we need to pay them 5% interest which makes me worried. Thank you to the kind donors and the organization for supporting my treatment cost."

Paul is a 48-year-old married man and a father of two children from Kenya. He and his wife are from Kiambu County, about 3 kilometers from Nazareth Hospital. Both Paul and his wife work on tea farms. They live in a rented single room, and work hard to provide for and educate their children. Their first-born child began her secondary education on February 12th. Paul and his wife, with the collective effort of neighbors, raised funds for her schooling. Paul and his wife are working to send their second-born child to secondary school as well. Unfortunately, Paul was hit by a drunk motorcyclist when going home on February 11th. He was hit on the right leg and bruised his face. After Paul obtained first aid at a local clinic, his neighbor brought him to a larger hospital via motorbike. An x-ray showed Paul had an open fracture of the tibia/fibula of the right leg and is currently in a lot of pain. On February 15th, Paul will undergo a fracture repair procedure to enable him to use his leg and avoid complications including infection. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1049 to fund this procedure. Paul says, "Our life has not been easy, and even getting money to come to the hospital was not possible; at least our neighbor was kind enough to bring me to Nazareth Hospital. I appeal for support so that I can walk again and at least join my wife in our casual job so that we can continue supporting ourselves and our children."