Miheretu is a sweet nine month old boy, who loves to play with his mother and other children. Miheretu's father works as a day laborer, while his mother stays at home to care for their children. Sadly, the family's income is insufficient to supply adequate food for the children, leaving Miheretu nutritionally deprived. Due to the concerns of his doctors, Miheretu underwent a colostomy for what was determined to be Hirschsprung's Disease. This is a condition that is present at birth, in which the baby's colon is missing necessary nerve cells. Without these cells, the muscles of Miheretu's gut cannot move contents through his colon, which can result in the contents backing up and causing a bowel blockage. After the colostomy, Miheretu's parents brought him back home, as they were unable to pay for the additional medical care that he needs. Thanks to the intervention of a local charitable organization, Miheretu was brought to BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre, where on January 5th, doctors from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, will perform a Hirschsprung Pull Through. During this procedure, doctors will remove the damaged section of Miheretu's colon, which will alleviate the bowel obstruction, and allow for normal colon function. Miheretu's parents cannot afford the $1,500 cost of the surgery, and are looking to you for help. Miheretu's mother says: “If my child gets the surgery and recovers, I will give thanks to God in front of all church members and tell my testimony. I will take care of him to the best of my capacity. I want him to get an education and to get married one day.”

Srey Ka is a bright 14-year-old student from Cambodia. She lives with her parents and two younger sisters. Her father is a rice farmer, and her mother sells fish at the local market. Srey Ka's favorite subjects are math and biology, and she wants to be an engineer when she grows up. At home, she likes reading and eating her favorite meal of grilled meats with a spicy chili paste. A few years ago, Srey Ka was in a motor vehicle collision that fractured her left ankle. Her injury resulted in the top layers of skin and tissue being torn away from the underlying muscle. She visited a local hospital soon after and had a skin graft, which did not work. Her scar from the skin graft is now contracted, tightening the skin around her ankle and causing pain. She is not able to walk comfortably and has trouble keeping up with her friends. When Srey Ka learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for one and a half hours to seek treatment. On March 14th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help her walk easily again. Now, she needs help to fund this $495 procedure. Her mother said, "After surgery, we hope the skin will be released and Srey Ka can walk well again."

Turyahabwa is a father of four and is a small-scale farmer alongside his wife in Uganda. Their firstborn is 25 years old and in secondary school class six while their last is 2 years old. His relatives assist him in raising school fees for his children because farming alone is not enough. Turyahabwa developed a small swelling on the occipital region at the back of his head six years ago. He experiences redness and the swelling is increasing in size. Turyahabwa traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On February 3rd, surgeons will remove the mass. Turyahabwa and his family need help raising $145 to fund this procedure. Turyahabwa says, “I have a strong belief that I will live a normal life once again after surgery. I will be able to continue with farming after recovery for further development of my family.”