Tony is a 53-year-old rice farmer with one son and one daughter, both of whom are students. His wife is a grocery seller. Due to poor vision, he mostly stays at home and listens to the news or boxing on the radio. Three years ago, Tony developed a pterygium in his right eye, causing him inflammation, pain, burning, and photophobia. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Tony learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. Tony needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of his procedure is $216. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for September 14th. Tony says, "I hope after surgery my eye will improve. I want to be able to plant crops and earn money for my family again."

Godwin is three-month-old baby boy and the last born child in a family of two children. Godwin's parents are small-scale farmers and his father has a small shop where he sells fruits and vegetables. His parents have spent all their savings seeking treatment for Godwin. However, their savings were not enough to fund his medical bills and so they resorted to borrowing from their friends and relatives. They are still in debt and can no longer find any money to pay for their son's shunt revision surgery that he needs to treat his worrying condition. Godwin has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, Godwin has been experiencing an increased size of his head due to fluid accumulation. Without treatment, Godwin will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $765 to cover the cost of surgery for Godwin that will treat his hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on October 13th and will drain the excess fluid from Godwin's brain. This will reduce the intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Godwin will develop into a strong, healthy young boy. Godwin’s mother says “We can no longer raise the money needed to cover our son’s treatment. We are in debt and we have no one to run to, please help us."

Oudam is a 18-year-old construction worker and new father. He recently got married and he and his wife have a two-month-old son. His wife is a garment-factory worker. Oudam enjoys playing sports, especially volleyball, which he plays four times a week with his friends. He also likes to listen to music and take photos in the countryside. In September of 2018, Oudam was in a motor vehicle accident that caused a fracture in his left leg. After the accident, his family took him to a government hospital, where doctors fixated hardware to heal his fracture. Now the fracture has healed well, and the hardware needs to be removed to avoid further complications and infection. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), can help. On August 2nd, Oudam will undergo a hardware removal procedure that will allow him to heal fully. CSC is requesting $230 to fund this procedure. Oudam shares, "I am so glad to have the opportunity to get the hardware out, so that my leg can feel normal again. I am excited to play volleyball again!"