Spencer is the last born in a family of four children. His father is a fisherman, and mother stays home to care for Spencer. Shortly after birth, Spencer's stomach became swollen. He was diagnosed with Anorectal Malformation - a birth condition in which the rectum is malformed. He was scheduled for a colostomy opening surgery, but Spencer's parents did not have any money for the surgery. They went back home with some medication to help pass stool as they were looking for money. After one month, they gathered some money and underwent the surgery. Spencer is now scheduled for an anorectoplasty surgery, where the surgeon will further correct the malformation. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, will perform the surgery on February 27th and is requesting for $743 to fund the surgery. Spencer’s mother says, “As a parent, it's very painful to see your child suffering yet there’s nothing you can do to help. I hope that my child will be able to recover and live a normal life.”

Thi Ha is a three-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his mother and an older sister in a village in Karen State, Burma. His mother is a stay-at-home parent, and his sister goes to school. His father works in Bangkok, Thailand, as a cleaner in a market to support his family. When Thi Ha was born, his mother noticed a mass at the bottom of Thi Ha’s spine. As he grew older, the mass grew larger and started causing him pain, even if something soft touched it. Thi Ha and his mother visited our medical partner’s care center, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, where the doctors wanted Thi Ha to undergo an MRI to diagnose his condition and prepare an appropriate treatment plan for Thi Ha. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $968 to cover the cost of Thi Ha’s MRI and care, scheduled for February 13. His mother said, “Sometimes his friends do not care and ignore him because of his disease. Then Thi Ha feels embarrassed and upset with his friends.”

Kila is a sweet 19-month-old boy from Ethiopia. He already loves to play football with his dad and mom. His mom and dad went to school up to grade three and dropped out since the schools were far from their neighbourhood. They now work as casual labourers at a construction site; his mom carries Kila to work and works with him tied on her back. They earn $1.76 per day and live in a rented house. They work hard, but their income is hardly enough to sustain the family and to raise their child. They support each other in the housework too. Dad buys water and carries it on his back for their daily use. They buy charcoal to cook their food. Since birth, Kila has had an inguinal hernia. His parents took him to a health centre, but they were referred to a hospital in another city. A month ago, they heard of an organization around their area that helps families in need who don't have access to surgery because of a lack of funds to support their treatment. They went to the mission organization and communicated with the sisters about the condition of the child and their financial status. The sisters called our local partner's care center Bethany KidsMCM and informed them of Kila's condition. BKMCM arranged accommodation for his family on their treatment stay in Addis Ababa, working in partnership with Missionaries of Charity, and assigned a date and informed the sisters to bring the family on that date. The family is unable to afford Kila's surgery and is requesting financial assistance. This hernia causes him weakness and pain that prevents him from walking. Fortunately, on December 12th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $512 to fund Kila's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live and grow more comfortably and confidently. Kila's dad said, “This is in the hands of God, but I hope with this surgery, the bulge will disappear and he will get normal and free of any complication.”