Meshack is a six-year-old boy, living with his mother and one sibling, in a one-roomed grass thatched house in a village in Kenya. Recently, Meshack completed his preschool studies and now he is in grade one. According to his mother, Meshack is very helpful, and always assists her around the farm and in doing household chores. Meshack's mother is a single parent and a farmer, who works hard to provide for her family. Meshack was born with a condition known as hemiplegic CP, which means that one side of his body is weak. His right foot is affected, making walking challenging. Additionally, Meshack was born with clubfoot of his left foot, which adds to his difficulty walking, and limits his ability to wear shoes. Meshack has already undergone some preliminary, preparatory procedures on his left foot during mobile clinic visits near his village and the next step is for him to have clubfoot repair surgery at our medical partner's hospital. Meshack and his mother have now traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on May 27th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,286 to fund Meshack's surgery, which will enable him to walk, to play with his friends, and to continue his education. “I would love to see my son walking like other children, and I will be relieved of the burden of carrying him to school,” Meshack's mother told us.

Haisam is an adorable 2-year-old and the youngest in his family of two kids. Haisam’s father sells charcoal, while his mother sells tea at a local marketplace. They shared that they work hard to provide and care for their children with this income. Haisam was born with bilateral clubfoot, a condition in which his foot is twisted out of shape. As a result, he experiences difficulty walking and wearing shoes. Haisam began treatment at the district hospital when he was two weeks old. However, only his left foot fully healed, and his right foot still needs further casting and treatment. Fortunately, Haisam and his family could travel to our medical partner’s care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on June 7th. Our medical partner is requesting $935 to fund this procedure. After treatment, Haisam will be able to walk well and be active as he grows up. Haisam’s mother says, “As years go by, life keeps getting tough, and I don’t see us saving enough to cover his treatment.”

Blessed is a five-year-old boy. He is very jovial and was born with a condition called cerebral palsy. He's the second born in a family of three children, one of whom is his twin brother. His parents separated long ago leaving his mother solely responsible for raising the kids and earning an income. Blessed's family lives in a small rented house in Wangige, a town roughly 30 minutes outside of Nairobi, where his mother worked. In March however, she lost her teaching job at a small private school, and now does casual jobs like ploughing farms and ferrying manure to earn a living and support her family. In 2018, Blessed's mother took both him and his twin brother to the doctor after developing some concerns about their health. After examination, both boys were diagnosed with a condition called cryptorchidism which causes the testes to not descend properly. After taking them to another facility in Nairobi, she was referred to our medical partner's care center, BethanyKids Hospital for help. If left untreated, Blessed has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Thanks to our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, Blessed and his mother will receive the help they need. Blessed is scheduled to undergo corrective orchidopexy surgery on June 21st. Our medical partner is requesting $646 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. After treatment, Blessed will be able to grow up without having to worry about his condition worsening or developing additional problems. Blessed’s mother says, “It is very sad for me as a parent to not be able to facilitate the treatment that my son requires.”