Mercy is a determined young lady, a sixth born in a family of nine children. Her father is a small scale farmer and her mother a homemaker. She goes to secondary school in Meru County, but is currently behind on her studies due to delays caused by a condition impacting both legs. Mercy was born with a condition known as bilateral genu varum (sometimes referred to as bowlegs), which causes her legs to curve outward at the knees. The condition has greatly affected her mobility. She finds it difficult to walk long distances, she gets tired quickly, and is unable to fully engage in activities with friends. Her self-esteem has been dramatically impacted by constant teasing from her peers, who find her way of walking different. Fortunately, Mercy is scheduled to undergo a surgery called bilateral Proximal Tibial Osteotomy (PTO) at our medical partner's care center AIC CURE International Hospital. The treatment will heal her legs, allow her to walk easily and support her to engage better both in school and with friends. Mercy hopes to become an orthopedic surgeon in order to help other children in the future. “I am looking forward to see my legs being corrected, to live more actively and continue with my education. God bless you for the support,” Mercy told us.

Sopheany is a 59-year-old grandmother who needs eye surgery to restore her sight. She lived alone in Kratie province since the untimely death of her husband eight years ago, but recently moved in with her youngest son, a rice farmer. Fortunately, she has five sons, two daughters, and 13 grandchildren who live in the province. They fill her life with joy and keep her busy. At home, she enjoys listening to music and local news. Sopheany, a rice farmer, now stays indoors due to poor eyesight. Three months ago, Sopheany developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her an intolerance of bright or low sunlight. She describes her eyesight as seeing through very dirty glasses and is frustrated she cannot recognize the faces of her grandchildren when they visit. When Sopheany learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for eight hours seeking treatment. On March 5th, doctors will perform small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Sopheany said: "I hope after surgery my eye can see better and I can go outside again."

Caleb is the youngest of three children. His father is a farmer and a boda-boda rider who is working hard to provide for the entire family. Caleb's mother stays at home to take care of the children. Sometimes, she does the laundry of their neighbors in the village so she can help support her family. On April 9th, Caleb fell from a stool while playing with his siblings. He sustained an injury to his right arm. A nearby health facility gave Caleb medication for the pain and was referred to our medical partner's treatment center for further management. Caleb's x-ray showed a fracture in his upper right arm and needs surgery to facilitate its healing. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, will perform a closed reduction percutaneous pinning on Caleb's arm on April 12th and is requesting $679 for the procedure. Caleb’s father says, “My youngest son is currently suffering and is in pain. Please help my son as he has always been the joy of our family. School will start soon and we hope that he will have fully recovered so he can continue with his studies.”