Mesa is 10 years old and a Grade 4 student from Cambodia. He lives with his parents and younger brother in Kompong Spue Province. His parents run a small shop where they take photos for students and print documents. He enjoys math at school, looks after his younger brother, and plays football with friends in his village. His favorite meal is lemongrass sour soup with eggs. When Mesa was one year old, he was burned by hot water, causing an injury to his left hand. He received a skin graft to the back of his hand at a governmental hospital, followed by a release of the fourth web space about a year later. He has since developed burn scar contractures between the second, third, and fourth fingers. The scars between his fingers restrict the spaces between them and make it difficult for him to fully straighten his left-hand fingers. He sometimes struggles to hold objects, and the appearance of his hand makes him feel shy around other people. Mesa's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, and sought treatment. On September 15th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help open the tight spaces between his fingers and improve the movement of his left hand, making it easier for him to straighten his fingers and hold things. Now, he needs help to fund this $652 procedure. Mesa's father said, “I hope this surgery will help my son straighten his fingers and use his left hand more easily when holding things. I also hope that as his hand improves, he will feel less shy and more confident around other people.”

Ulemu is a friendly 11-year-old boy, the firstborn of two children from Malawi. The family lives in a small, single-room mud-built house with a thatched roof. His mother earns a living by selling tomatoes from a small bench outside their home, and the family depends largely on this income to meet their daily needs. Ulemu's mother shared that he has been experiencing pain that often starts in his groin area, and travels up towards his abdomen, around the navel. She noticed that the pain is particularly severe during cold weather. She took him to the referral hospital several times in search of medical help, but unfortunately the surgery list was always long, and he has not been able to receive the surgery he needed. After hearing from several friends that Nkhoma Hospital was providing surgical services, she decided to bring him there. Getting to Nkhoma was not easy for the family. Because of their limited resources, even finding transport was a challenge. The journey took around five hours, and during the trip, his mother had to carry Ulemu on her lap at times. At Nkhoma Hospital, Ulemu was assessed and diagnosed with a left inguinal hernia, a condition that occurs when abdominal tissue protrudes through a weak spot in the lower abdominal muscles, causing a bulge in the groin area. Doctors explained that he would need surgery to correct the condition. For Ulemu's mother, finally receiving a diagnosis brought some relief, but learning about the cost of treatment brought another worry. The family could not afford the surgery fees. Ulemu's illness has also affected his education. For a boy who has recently completed his primary school examinations, his mother hopes that treatment will allow him to continue with his education without the interruptions caused by pain. Fortunately, Ulemu is scheduled to undergo hernia repair surgery at Nkhoma Hospital. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $421 to fund Ulemu's hernia repair surgery. The procedure will take place on August 13th and, once completed, will provide Ulemu relief from the pain that has affected his childhood and education. Ulemu's mother said, “I want my son to receive the help he needs, so that he can be well again and continue with his education.”

Eveles is 51 years old and a mother of five from Malawi. She and her children are all farmers. Seven months ago, Eveles started to experience abnormal bleeding. She has been diagnosed with Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia, an abnormal growth of precancerous cells on the surface of the cervix. It has a high risk of progressing into invasive cervical cancer if left untreated or unattended. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,363 to fund Eveles's surgery. On July 1st, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center. Once recovered, Eveles will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Eveles shared, "Your support will save my life and help me to concentrate; I am so worried about my health; I need to resume farm work to survive."