Negaso is a young boy from Ethiopia. He is the third child of his parents. He loves playing football with his friends and wants to attend school. He loves the spinach his mother makes. When he was only one day old, he underwent a emergency colostomy in Butajira Hospital as he was born with a birth condition that leads to intestinal blockage. His mother has a small vegetable business on the streets. At the same time, his father is a daily laborer, and their income is minimal. Negaso wants to go to school and cries when he sees other students go to school by school bus in the morning. His family can't send him to school since he has a colostomy, and they haven't been able to get him the necessary follow-up treatment for his condition. He needs to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate bowel dysfunction. Negaso is now scheduled to undergo surgery to heal his condition on January 4th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, requests $1,500 to cover Negaso's procedure and care. After his recovery, Negaso will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing severe health complications in the future. His mother said, "I worry that kids would touch his colostomy while I keep him on the street market with me."

10 year old Nicholas lives with his parents and two younger siblings in Kenya. His parents are farmers, who produce small cash crops of vegetables, maize and beans, which provide income for the family. In December, Nicholas fell out of a neighbor's mango tree, sustaining injuries to both of his hands and arms, and to his left thigh. X-rays showed that both of his arms were fractured, and the doctors also found an open wound on his thigh where the bone protruded through the skin. After undergoing numerous procedures, and infections that required multiple treatments, Nicholas, who is currently bedridden and in pain, is finally ready to have his fractured femur surgically repaired. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,145 to fund Nicholas' surgery, which is scheduled to take place on January 15th, at AIC Kapsowar Hospital. After he has recovered, Nicholas will be able to walk again without pain. Nicholas' mother says: “My son has been unwell for quite a while. I hope he gets well and will be able to go back to school after treatment.”

Oliver is a married mother of four children, all of whom are married with children except the last one who is still in school. She is a farmer together with her husband. Her second child, a daughter, has been there for her support throughout her illness. Oliver likes chatting with her daughter and enjoys eating nsima made from cassava maize flour served with fresh fish. Oliver was well until one year ago when she noted a small lump on her right breast that was not painful. She visited her nearest hospital where some pain medication was provided. She visited many other hospitals after noting that the growth was becoming bigger as time passed. At one of the hospitals, a diagnosis of suspected breast cancer was made before proceeding to Kamuzu Central Hospital for further assessments. At Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH), different tests were done, and a diagnosis of invasive ductal carcinoma was made followed by four cycles of neoadjuvant therapy. Oliver was later scheduled for surgery on January 15th this year but unfortunately, she did not report back since she did not have the funds. On January 29th, Oliver went back to KCH where she was referred to our medical partner's care center Partners in Hope Medical Center (PIH) so that she can undergo surgery more urgently. Of late, Oliver has been experiencing needle pricking pains, and weakness affecting her farm work plus household chores as a mother. On January 30th, Oliver reported to PIH and met the surgeon who confirmed the need for a modified radical mastectomy. Modified radical mastectomy is the removal of the entire breast, including the nipple, areola, and skin plus most axillary lymph nodes. Oliver believes the surgical operation will help her get back home in a good condition and enable her to resume her farm work. Oliver said, “Kindly remove this breast for me to have my peace of mind after getting rid of these bad symptoms that I experience, I would rather be able to move on in my age.”