Placida is a 24-year-old woman from Elgeyo Marakwet County in Kenya. She is the second-born in a family of eight children. Five of her siblings are currently in school, while three have completed their secondary education. Placida and her siblings lost their father in 2017 when her siblings were still young, and her mother has been struggling to pay for her siblings’ school fees. They live on a small piece of land where they grow maize and potatoes, and they also have three mango trees. Placida sells groceries in a center near her home, to support her mother in providing for the family. Placida had gone to the market to purchase vegetables for her stall when the motorcycle she was riding on her way home got into an accident. The rider lost control, swerved, and crashed into a ditch along the road. She reports that she remained conscious, but suffered a deep cut to her left Achilles tendon. She was immediately brought to our medical partner's care center, AIC Kapsowar Hospital, with the help of the good Samaritans. She was immediately taken into the operating room for immediate closure of the wound. An X-ray performed later, showed that she sustained fractures on her shin and calf bones. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On August 1st, Placida will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). This treatment will treat her condition, preventing further complications. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $861 to fund this procedure. Placida says, "I am in a great deal of pain and unable to move around. I am reaching out for your support to help me get this surgery, so I can walk independently and regain the ability to perform my daily activities once I fully recover."

Ishmael is a 60-year-old farmer and lives in Kambanizithe village, where he is a senior chief. He grows maize and groundnuts to support his family. Ishmael shares his home with his wife and four grandchildren. Since January 2023, Ishmael has had a right inguinal hernia. It started with swelling and a sharp pain, which worsened over time. In July 2024, Ishmael traveled to our medical partner's care center, Nkhoma Hospital, where the diagnosis was confirmed, and surgery was recommended. With all hope, he believes that this procedure will cure him of his pain for good. He will return to farming and provide for his family again. The longer he stays with this condition, the greater the risk of permanent complications such as a strangulated hernia which can be life-threatening as it leads to severe inflammation of the intestine and sepsis. On August 22nd, Ishmael will undergo hernia repair with mesh surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $500 to fund Ishmael's hernia repair surgery, which will allow him to live more comfortably. Ishmael says, “I’m looking forward to a prolonged life so that I continue to support my family and resume working on our farming business.”

Chivorn is a two-year-old boy from Cambodia. He lives in Pursat province with his parents and sister. His father works as a hairdresser from home, and his mother works in a nearby clothing factory. At home, he enjoys eating rice porridge, playing with his sister, and watching cartoons on his mom's phone. In July 2023, Chivorn suffered a burn from a hot motorbike exhaust pipe, resulting in burns to his left-hand fingers. Now, burn scar contractures have formed, causing tightness in the skin around his fingers and limiting their extension. His parents are concerned that as he grows older, he may not be able to fully extend his fingers, making it difficult for him to use his hand for everyday tasks such as gripping objects. When Chivorn's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, they traveled for one and a half hours seeking treatment. On July 8th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help him regain full extension of his fingers and improve his overall hand function. Chivorn's family was able to contribute $100 towards his medical costs but needs help to raise the remaining $395 in funds. Chivorn's father said he hopes his son will be able to play without difficulty and improve the appearance of his hand before he starts school in a couple of years.