Osteen is a nine-year-old boy from Kenya. He is the second born in a family of three children and is in 5th grade. Osteen's mother sells groceries in the neighborhood while the father works on a farm. On March 25th, while playing with his friends, Osteen fell from a tree and hurt his arm. He sustained a closed fracture of the distal humerus close to the elbow, causing him a lot of pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On April 4th, Osteen will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. The treatment will prevent complications that can lead to deformity or malunion. It will also enable him to go back to school and play with his friends. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,049 to fund this procedure. “We are very worried and hope our son can get help so that his hand heals, and he can continue going to school,” said Osteen’s father.

Racheal is a middle-aged small businesswoman from Uganda. She is the mother of one and shared that she separated from her husband due to domestic violence. She now lives with her twenty-five-year-old daughter and her grandchild. She works hard to provide for her family. Eleven years ago, Racheal began to experience troubling symptoms, including a neck swelling. It was small and painless initially but has increased in size over the years. The swelling now causes respiratory problems, worrying Racheal. A doctor examined Racheal and diagnosed a multi-nodular goiter - an enlarged thyroid gland with separate bumps (nodules) on it. Racheal needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Racheal receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on December 8th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and Racheal and her family need help raising money. Racheal says, “I believe with your support I will have a successful surgery with a positive outcome for my life.”

Khemara is an 11th grader who lives in Kampong Thom province with his parents and older sister. His parents work as rice farmers, and he has three older brothers who live nearby and help support the family. Khemara likes playing volleyball and his favorite subject is history. He hopes to get a good job or join the army when he finishes high school. In December, Khemara was driving near his home when a dog ran into the road, causing him to swerve and crash. The accident caused a fracture in his right arm. He was unable to afford the private clinic near his house, so he sought treatment from a traditional healer in his village. Unfortunately, the fracture has not healed. He has limited function in his right hand and arm and is in chronic pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On January 11th, Khemara will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $483. This procedure will improve his arm function and help him to perform his everyday activities again. He shared, "I hope I can use my arm like before and be able to do my schoolwork and I'd like to play volleyball again."