Merge is a 3 year-old child from Ethiopia. She is a beautiful young girl who loves to play with toys and her brothers. She loves to wear new clothes and shoes - her dad shared that she is always asking for new clothes and shoes. Merge loves being around people. Her dad is a farmer with a large family, his older children out of the house and living their own lives. Seven children are still with their parents. Her mom spends her day taking care of her child, collecting firewood from the woods, and pouring water from a long distance from a manual well. She carries the water jar and the sticks on her back. They harvest once a year. Their income is limited to sustain the needs of their household. Merge was born with anorectal malformation and she was referred to Addis Ababa referral hospital and underwent two surgeries. But now she developed an incisional hernia. Fortunately, on February 9th, she will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $512 to fund Merge's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably and confidently as she grows. Merge's dad said, “I hope she will heal. That will make me happy. I will send her to school and I want her to become a doctor.”

Maria is a one-month-old baby girl from Haiti. Maria 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, Maria has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Maria will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $957 to cover the cost of surgery for Maria at Hospital Bernard Mevs which will treat her hydrocephalus. This is the only site in the country where this care is currently available and the procedure is scheduled to take place on April 12th. The doctors will place a shunt to drain the excess fluid from Maria's brain to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Maria will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. The family is looking forward to having their baby grow up healthy

Rosette is a social and engaging lady. She is a mother to two sons; one works in business and her younger son is in school studying. Rosette lost her husband a few years back; however, with farming, she has managed to raise her children. For the past three years, Rosette has been experiencing severe lower abdominal pain, backache, and vaginal bleeding. Due to these symptoms, she has become more limited in her activities. She has been diagnosed with an early cancerous cervical lesion, and doctors recommend a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, requests $219 to fund Rosette's surgery. On February 28th, she will undergo surgery at Karoli Lwanga Hospital. Once recovered, Rosette can resume her work and activities free of pain. Rosette says, "I wish to see my children grow well; however, with such poor health, I can't do much. I thank you for your support and hope to improve after surgery."