Michael is a beautiful baby who likes playing with blocks and waving his arms in time to music. Michael has a cardiac condition called tricuspid atresia: he was born without one of the four valves that is normally present in the heart. As a result, blood cannot flow through his lungs and body normally, leaving him sick and short of breath. On March 1st, Michael will undergo cardiac surgery, during which doctors will perform a technique called a Glenn procedure to create a conduit to allow blood to bypass the missing valve and more easily circulate through Michael's body. Another organization, Gift of Life International, is contributing $5,000 to pay for surgery, but Michael's family is still in need of $1,500 and have turned to the Watsi community for support. Michael's mother says: "It has been very frightening to see my son have such difficulty breathing, and I am so glad we can finally find a way to help him."

Meet Clerize: a beautiful and bright 4-year-old. She is the 1st born in a family of two and her family hails from a small village in rural Kenya. We met her at our Nyandarua medical camp outreach accompanied by her grandmother. Clerize's grandmother is a farmer while her father, who is separated with his wife, works as a boda boda (motorcycle taxi) driver. Clerize was born healthy however at the age of three, her grandmother noticed an unusual walking style. She stared tiptoeing and would fall every time she tried to walk. For lack of information and because of the distance, they didn’t take her to the hospital. Later their family heard about CURE hospital medical camp in Nyandarua and brought her to be seen by the doctors. The medical team diagnosed Clerize with clubfoot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Clerize's family has now traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on February 26th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,286 to fund Clerize's clubfoot repair. After treatment, she will be able to walk more easily and is looking forward to attending school. “I am pleading for help to help my granddaughter undergo surgery so that she can resume with her normal life and walking,” Clerize's grandmother told us.

Samson is a widower and father of a 9-year-old child. He works as a laborer at a garage washing cars to support himself and his child. A few years ago, Samson started experiencing epigastric pain and discomfort, and could not keep down his food. He has sought treatment at other hospitals before, but to no avail. A few weeks ago, Samson's condition worsened and his brother helped him seek care with our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare. Doctors there conducted an endoscopy and found that the cause of Samson's symptoms was gastric obstruction due to pyloric stenosis, a narrowing of the opening from the stomach into the small intestine. If left untreated, Samson will continue to experience pain. His symptoms may also worsen, leading to dehydration, weight loss, and an overall decreased quality of life. Surgeons have recommended a laparotomy to treat Samson's condition. Fortunately, Samson is scheduled for surgery on March 13th with the help of African Mission Healthcare. Samson needs help raising $788 to fund the cost of his procedure. After surgery, not only will Samson's quality of life improve, but he will also be able to care for himself and his child. “I have been unable to care for myself and my child, becoming a burden to my family. The pain is also too much and I am afraid my wife went through the same and died. I plead for support so that I may be treated and get back to my normal life. I am also the only hope of my child,” said Samson.