Srey Neang is a one-year-old baby who lives with her parents and older brother. Her mother is a construction worker and her father sells traditional Khmer cakes at the local market. Her old brother is in grade eight at the local school. Srey Neang has just learned to walk and keeps her mother very busy as she explores the family home. Recently, Srey Neang has been pulling on her left ear and crying. Her mother noticed that the ear is red and swollen. A local clinic diagnosed her with a pre-auricular skin pit - also known as a sinus or ear pit - which are congenital small depressions in the skin in front of the ear. These are usually harmless, but they can become infected and they require medical attention. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can treat Srey Neang by removing the skin pit. Srey Neang's family needs support with the $297 cost, which will cover surgery, hospitalization, and post-operative medications. Srey Neang and her family traveled two hours to CSC, where she will undergo surgery on March 3rd. Srey Neang's mother said, "We hope the infection goes away and Srey Neang stops having pain, so she can be happy again."

Silvanus is a 2-month-old baby boy who has brought much joy to his family. His father is a boda-boda (motorcycle for hire) driver, and his mother is a local food vendor. Silvanus was born with clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Silvanus's parents did not seek treatment when he was born because the doctor who delivered him told his parents that the condition usually corrects with time. They have been waiting for his legs to improve as he gets older, but they see no improvement and are worried. They started talking to people in their community about how they can help their child, and were advised to take Silvanus to another hospital for diagnosis. They have tried their best to save money for their son’s treatment, but meeting the family's basic needs make it challenging. Fortunately, Silvanus traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on December 13th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $935 to fund Silvanus's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will heal and be able to walk normally and wear shoes as he grows up. Silvanus's mother says, “I wish my son's feet will be like other babies’ feet and he will grow up to have a normal life."

Meet 36-year-old Diana, a quiet, humble, and loving mother to two children, who lives with her family in Uganda. While Diana had once dreamed of becoming a teacher, with the death of her parents, there was no money for the necessary school fees. She became the provider for herself and her two younger brothers, starting up a small business selling vegetables, in order to earn a sufficient income for the three of them. Today, Diana and her husband work as small-scale farmers, growing food crops for home consumption, while selling any surplus they have to generate money for their family. For the past two years, Diana has experienced severe lower abdominal pain, accompanied by backaches and dizziness. Additionally, she has experienced bleeding. Surgery was recommended, but Diana couldn't afford to pay for the treatment that she needed. However, the pain she has been living with has increased, and at a recent visit to the doctor, a scan was done, which showed a right pelvic mass. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is seeking $242 to cover the costs of a curative laparotomy, which is scheduled to take place on February 2nd, at Karoli Lwanga Hospital, Nyakibale. Diana is hopeful that with your help, her unpleasant and debilitating symptoms will be gone. Diana says: “If given a chance to be supported, I hope I will go through the surgery and I expect to get well afterward.”