Girdhari is a 35-year-old auto-rickshaw driver from India. He lives with his wife, three children, parents, and siblings. He shares a close bond with his parents and siblings and takes pride in contributing to the household through his work as an auto-rickshaw driver. About a year and a half ago, Girdhari sustained severe burn injuries in a workplace accident. While working as a cook, hot oil spilled onto a stove and triggered a sudden fire, leaving his legs badly burned. He was treated at a local hospital, but did not receive the specialized burn care needed for proper healing. Over time, this has led to serious complications — his feet have developed contractures, leaving them tilted and making walking painful and difficult. Girdhari now requires corrective surgery and rehabilitation to restore function and improve his quality of life. With timely medical intervention, he has a strong chance of regaining better mobility and continuing to support his family. Fortunately, on April 23rd, our medical partner, GS Memorial Plastic Surgery Hospital and Trauma Center, will help Girdhari undergo burn contracture release surgery to restore movement and improve his quality of life. Girdhari is receiving support from G.S. Memorial Trust, but needs help raising $726 more to fund their procedure and care. Girdhari said, "After this surgery, I am hopeful to fully recover and regain my mobility. That way, I can feel confident to seek out more job opportunities to support my family."

Neverless is a 38-year-old mother of three from Uganda. She and her husband have two daughters and one son. Neverless grew up in a large family as as the oldest of nine children. She studied up to Primary Seven, and her husband studied until Senior Three. Neverless practices small-scale farming, while her husband works as a builder, to provide for their family. For more than eight years, Neverless has been living with a swelling on her face. The swelling has progressively increased in size with time. The mass causes her to have frequent headaches and dizziness whenever she walks or engages in any strenuous activity. Overall, this condition has significantly affected Neverless's ability to work, and she is often confined to her home, which has caused significant financial stress for her and her family. Neverless has sought treatment from various health facilities, where she was only given painkillers that did not improve her condition. Later, she shared her situation with a friend, who advised her to visit our medical partner's hospital, Rwibaale Hospital. Neverless traveled to the hospital for evaluation, and her doctors determined she needs to undergo surgery to address her condition and alleviate her symptoms. On June 2nd, surgeons at our medical partner's care center will remove the mass. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $153 to fund her procedure. Neverless said, "I hope to get rid of the frequent headache and dizziness after treatment."

Rachel is an active and social 12-year-old girl from Kenya. Despite her challenges, she remains hopeful and optimistic about her future. Rachel is currently in Grade 7, but has paused her studies due to her medical condition. Two days after Rachel was born, her mother noticed that Rachel's head was enlarging and that her eyes appeared sunken. Rachel was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. Rachel underwent shunt insertion surgery to drain the excess fluid, but the shunt failed within days. Rachel and her mother then journeyed 130 kilometers to our medical partner's care center, BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital. There, Rachel underwent a successful shunt revision surgery, and her mother’s joy was beyond words. They returned home, and life improved significantly. Unfortunately, hydrocephalus shunts can become blocked over time, making revision surgeries necessary. Rachel has had two more surgeries at three and seven years of age. She now requires another shunt revision surgery, so that she can resume her daily activities like other children her age. Without surgery, Rachel will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $719 to cover the cost of surgery for Rachel that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on February 13th and will drain the excess fluid from Rachel's brain. Rachel shares, "I am in pain, I haven't been able to go to school. I want to get better so that I can continue learning. I look forward to leaving the hospital feeling better so that I can go home, play with my siblings, and attend school."