Milia is a 5-year-old boy from Tanzania. He is the oldest of three children. He is a very active boy who enjoys making cars from wood and used bottles. He dreams of driving big trucks. Milia’s father is a pastoralist who depends on livestock for the family’s livelihood. Although life has been challenging, the family holds strong hopes for Milia’s future. They dream of seeing him walk comfortably, attend school, and grow with normal legs. Milia was diagnosed with bilateral varus; both his legs were bending outward as he grew older. Several factors can cause this condition, including growth disorders, vitamin deficiencies, or excessive fluoride in contaminated drinking water. As a result, the knees can be angled inwards or outwards, making it difficult to walk and may cause long-term joint damage. They believe that the corrective surgery will help straighten his legs and prevent long-term disability. His family is seeking support to give their child a healthy and active future. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $810 to fund treatment for Milia. The procedure is scheduled for January 19th at our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. Treatment will hopefully restore Milia's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Milia's father says, "Living off herding cattle is good for the village life, but when I learnt of the cost for his treatment, it got me worried that I won't be able to afford the surgery, and he might end up living life with this deformity."

Yeniya is a seven-year-old active and sociable boy from Ethiopia. He enjoys riding his bicycle and playing football with his friends. He has a keen interest in environmental science and loves spending time with his younger sister. Yeniya lives with his parents and his two sisters in a small one-room iron-sheet house. Their family home was destroyed two years ago during the construction of a new government structure, leaving them in a difficult living situation. Yeniya's mother is a dedicated homemaker, while his father works as a daily laborer. Together, they strive to meet their children’s needs. Yeniya's parents were unaware of his condition until last year, when Yeniya began experiencing pain in the scrotal area. His mother took him to a health center, where he was diagnosed with an undescended testis and advised that he would need surgical intervention. The doctor also expressed concern that the condition had not been addressed earlier and referred them to a specialized hospital. Overwhelmed with emotion, Yeniya's mother relayed the diagnosis to his father, and they took him to the referred hospital. Yeniya was placed on the surgical wait list. As months went by, his father frequently inquired about the status of the case, worried that the condition might get worse due to treatment delay. One day, eight months later, they received a call from the referral hospital informing them that Yeniya had been further referred to our medical partner's care center, BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre (BKMCM). Yeniya has been diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Yeniya has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Yeniya will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on February 24th. AMH is requesting $754 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Yeniya's father said, "We are grateful for the opportunity for our son's treatment, and hope that the surgery will go well, and he will recover."

47-year-old Edgadi is a small-scale farmer living in Uganda. She and her husband have one child, and also live with Edgadi's mother, who was recently widowed. Despite facing many hardships earlier in her life, Edgadi managed to complete Senior Four. To make ends meet, she and her husband do farming on their small piece of land, where they mostly grow food crops for home consumption, while selling any surplus to earn some income. Ten years ago, Edgadi began to experience troubling symptoms, including an anterior neck swelling, headaches, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and pain when swallowing. She first sought treatment at a local hospital, but found no relief. She later visited another medical center, where she was advised to undergo surgery. As she could not raise the required funds, she returned home. She then tried local remedies, but she still couldn't find any relief. Eventually, a friend who knew someone who had been treated for a similar condition, advised her to seek help at our medical partner's care center, Karoli Lwanga Hospital Nyakibale. At the hospital, Edgadi was diagnosed with a goiter, an abnormal swelling of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is the gland located in front of your neck, which produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth and other bodily functions. Edgadi needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Edgadi receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on February 10th, during which surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and Edgadi and her family need your help to raise the funds. Edgadi says: “I have had this condition for a very long time, and even reaching this point, where I can hope for surgery, feels like a miracle. However, I am unable to raise the funds needed for the operation, and therefore, I kindly seek your support.”