Stephen is a young student from Kenya. His father is employed casually at a construction site while his mother hawks fruits to supplement the family’s income. Stephen is in class three and aspires to be a pilot one day. Stephen was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Stephen has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Stephen will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on February 5th. AMHF is requesting $535 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. “I want to a pilot when I grow up,” says Stephen.

Nasma is a ten year old girl from Tanzania who has had a challenging health background since she was young. When she was one year old, Nasma's ability to walk and talk was affected. This was followed by increased head size due to fluid accumulation in the brain. Nasma previously had surgery and she recovered well, albeit with slow growth. Unfortunately in 2016, she fell sick again and was in a coma for 6 weeks. Her parents had lost hope and thought she would pass away. However, she made a remarkable improvement and further needed hydrocephalus care. Her parents were not able to settle the hospital bill and went back to the village. With a continuous head migraine, Nasma's parents brought her to our medical partner in June 2019 where she had VPS shunt insertion with Watsi donor support. Later in December 2019, she was brought back with complaints of cries and head migraine. Upon review and several days of observations, the surgeons recommended a shunt revision to reduce intracranial pressure. She is in much pain, neither able to walk nor talk. The surgery will greatly reduce the pain and chances of brain damage. Nasma's parents are peasants who rely on subsistence farming to make ends meet. They had to borrow bus fare to reach our facility. Nasma has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Nasma has been experiencing Increased head circumference and persistent pain. Without treatment, Nasma will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $728 to cover the cost of surgery for Nasma that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 2nd and will drain the excess fluid from Nasma's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. Nasma’s mother says, “Please help my daughter get this treatment so that she may even be able to smile and talk again.”

Charles is a farmer from Kenya. He is married and a father of 7 children, with three of them in school. The cost of their education strains his income and leaves very little to meet daily cost of living. Together with his wife, they tend to their small ancestral land. In December 2019, he was assaulted by unknown individuals and suffered a fractured mandible. Charles is in pain and cannot chew his food or speak well. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On March 3rd, Charles will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. This procedure will help Paul heal well and no longer be in pain. He will also be able to chew his food and eat normally. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $640 to fund this procedure. Charles says, “Previous interventions have not been successful. I am hopeful that in Kijabe, I will have my fracture fixed.”