Kenawaka is a playful and cheerful 15-month-old boy from Ethiopia, who enjoys spending time with his older sister. He lives with his parents and sister in a rented home. His father works as an accountant to support the family, while his mother is a homemaker. Kenawaka's mother first noticed that something was different when she took Kenawaka to the hospital for circumcision. After examining him, the doctor told them that he would need specialized assessment and treatment, and referred them to a public referral hospital in the capital city. Following the referral, Kenawaka's parents waited another year due to a long surgical wait list. Though they were increasingly anxious, they could not afford care in a private facility so they continued hoping that they would be attended to soon. Recently, the referral hospital informed Kenawaka's parents to bring him to our medical partner's care center, BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre (BKMCM). Kenawaka was diagnosed with hypospadias, a condition that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of future complications. Fortunately, Kenawaka is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on September 25th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,293 to cover the cost of his procedure and care. Kenawaka's father said, “Thank you so much to everyone at BethanyKids. We are truly grateful to all the staff for their kindness and care. Everyone has treated us with so much respect and made us feel comfortable throughout this journey. We are very happy and thankful for the support Kenawaka has received. We love our son so much, and our greatest wish is to see him healthy and happy after his surgery.”

Demise is a 64-year-old farmer from Ethiopia. He and his wife work together on their farm and have twelve children. A year ago, Demise developed a cataract in his left eye and was diagnosed at a government-funded hospital. However, due to a scheduling error, Demise never received proper treatment. Now, Demise has thick, cloudy vision. He has difficulty walking on uneven ground, detecting familiar faces, and reading his Bible. Moreover, Demise finds farm work difficult and relies heavily on his family to manage his responsibilities. Fortunately, on November 4th, Demise will undergo cataract surgery with the help of our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital. Surgeons will remove and replace the clouded lens, improving Demise's blurry vision. Now, he needs help to raise $150 to fund this procedure. Demise states, "After a year of waiting, I only want to work my land again, see my family's faces clearly, and read my Bible. I want to stand on my own and not be a burden to anyone."

Mcdonald is a 66-year-old father and grandfather from Malawi. He and his wife live in a small village, where they depend on farming maize and groundnuts for their livelihood. Farming has always been an important part of their lives, but his illness has gradually made it difficult for him to continue working in the fields. Six years ago, Mcdonald started experiencing uncomfortable symptoms, and a reliance on the catheter. As his health progressively worsened, he could no longer work on the farm, leaving his younger sister to help with the farming. McDonald and his family decided to seek a lasting solution for his condition. He was advised to seek care at Nkhoma Mission Hospital, a journey that took 5 hours. At the hospital, Mcdonald was diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Physicians at Nkhoma Hospital determined that Mcdonald should undergo a prostatectomy, a surgery to remove part or all of the prostate. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $530 to fund this procedure. The treatment is scheduled to take place at Nkhoma Hospital on September 9th and, once completed, it will hopefully improve Mcdonald's quality of life. McDonald said, “I am hoping that with the surgery treatment, I can finally be free from the catheter and return to the life I had before. I want to go back to my farm, work again with my wife, and enjoy my family without constantly worrying about my health.”