Festus is a cheerful boy who always has a friendly smile and a joyful, resilient spirit. The fifth born of six children, he is a third grader at a nearby primary school. His parents are small scale farmers who plant maize and beans for consumption and sale. Two of his siblings are in high school and the others are in primary school. His parents sell their farm produce in order to pay their school fees and manage their daily needs. Festus has had a long stay in hospital with an infected wound and multiple surgeries, two debridement surgeries and nerve repair after he sustained a deep cut in his left hand. He now needs a skin graft to cover the damaged area. The decision to perform the skin graft was recommended by his doctors because his wound has not healed after a long time. After undergoing three surgeries, Festus feels traumatized when he enters the operation theatre. His mother is worries that he might lose his hand if not treated. Their family has had to undergo counselling to promote resilience and assurance that everything will be okay, and that Festus will be able to use his hand again. After all this, the family is looking forward to the results of the surgery with excitement. His family is asking any well-wisher to support them in this time of need, as they need $1,089 to fund the skin graft. Festus's mother says, “It’s been a long journey for my son. For the last one week I haven’t slept well just thinking of his health. I hope he gets treated and will be well again.”

Rechael is a 38-year-old widow and mother of three children, who works in a small grocery store. Her husband died in a traffic accident in 2018, and her life changed dramatically as a result. Her husband's family sent her away with the children, and since her mother had also died earlier, she shared with us that she had nowhere to go. Her aunt agreed to have Rachael and her children come live with her. Rechael was accompanied by her aunt and uncle when she came to Nazareth Hospital this week. She was very anxious, and when she started narrating her story she began to cry. She had become depressed, had experienced periodic upper abdominal pains, and occasional vomiting. She has been admitted at hospitals three times, and a scan showed that she had gallstones. Doctors advised that she have surgery to heal her condition. Unfortunately, she is unable to pay the $788 needed for this surgery. If not treated, Rechael will continue to experience these symptoms, and could develop complications such as pancreatitis, or obstruction of the gallbladder among others. “I am desperate and don’t know what to do. I can only depend on my family, and they are not in a position to help. I pray for help so that at least my life can be normal again for the sake of my children,” said Rechael.

Agrath is a beautiful seven-month-old baby girl. She is a healthy and happy little girl raised by a single mother and her grandmother. Agrath was born with bilateral clubfoot, a congenital musculoskeletal malformation that causes the foot to twist of our shape, ultimately impairing the ability to walk. She was scheduled for corrective casting once she was given her diagnosis, but it was too expensive for their family to cover. Understanding the financial challenges the family was facing, and the potential dangers associated with discontinuing treatment, the doctors referred Agrath's family to the Plaster House to seek help. Fortunately, on May 13th Agrath will undergo clubfoot repair surgery at our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $935 to fund Agrath's clubfoot repair. After treatment, her legs will be corrected and she will be able to grow up walking, running, and playing like other kids. Agrath’s grandmother says, “I am a widow and my granddaughter’s father is nowhere to be seen. We have no means of affording the surgery costs. Please help us.”

Dismas is a boda boda taxi driver from Kenya. He is a bright and hardworking young man from a highland region in Elgeyo Marakwet County. Dismas is the third born in a family of four. He studied up to the 7th grade in primary school, but then had to stop attending due to the school fees. Now he lives in a rental house with his wife and their son. His parents live in a place far from him in a semi-arid area, and he moved to look for work and to earn a living. Before his recent accident, Dismas was employed as a motorcycle driver and his limited wages enabled him to sustain his family and give his parents a little support. After a severe road traffic accident about three weeks ago, Dismas was taken to the hospital on a stretcher and is still unable to walk. The bill for his care has been accumulating and he had no funds to pay due to his current state and inability to work. Well-wishers helped him pay the bill and he was discharged home with his fracture stabilized on a splint. One of his brothers reached out to a friend who knew of our medical partner's care center, Kapsowar Hospital, and he was brought in to see if they could help him. An x-ray found that he sustained fractures of the distal tibia and fibula. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On April 26th, Dismas will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. After he heals from this surgery, he will be able to walk easily again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1145 to fund this procedure. Dismas says, "It really hurts when I see my family suffering. I am worried about their future if my condition doesn’t change. Kindly help me get well so that they may not be impacted even more.”

Denis is a charming and friendly three-year-old boy. Denis's mother is a single mom, and she has a small business selling fruits and vegetables to support her family. Denis has a twin brother, along with another sibling. Denis has been diagnosed with bilateral genu valgus, a condition in which the knees angle inward and touch one another when his legs are straightened. This is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, Denis's gait is affected. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Denis receive treatment. On April 8th, he will undergo corrective surgery at AMH's care center. Treatment will hopefully restore Denis's mobility, allowing him to participate in a variety of activities and greatly decreasing his risk of future complications. Now, his family needs help raising $880 to fund his procedure and care. Denis’s mother shared, "now that my son’s insurance is not covering the surgery, I won’t have any means to raise the money. Please assist me."

Chit is a 40-year-old woman from Burma. This past April, she and her husband have moved in with her sister and two nephews in Mae Sot, a border city in Thailand, while she receives treatment. Prior to the move, Chit would sell various fruits from their home in the village, but she had to close her shop once they moved. Her husband has been unable to work due to his disability. They are now supported by Chit's sister, who works as a waitress at a restaurant. In her free time, Chit enjoys gardening and growing various fruit trees, such as avocado, lime, banana, and pomegranate. In the future, she wants to grow and sell fruit tree saplings because she greatly enjoys growing fruit trees! Since August of last year, Chit has been experiencing slight lower abdominal pains. She especially experiences tightness on the right side of her abdomen in the morning right after she wakes up. She has been diagnosed with a uterine fibroid, a noncancerous growth of the uterus. Doctors have advised her to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Chit's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Chit is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on July 26th. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, she will no longer experience pain and will be able to return home and work again. Chit shares, “I had to leave my house, and I always have to take care of my husband. But I also have to take care of myself because I am ill. Sometimes, I feel sad and tired of my life. I know surgery will help me...”

Phkay is a seven-year-old boy. He studies in the 2nd grade and has one brother in 7th grade. His mother is a beverage seller and his father is a tuk tuk driver. Last October, Phkay fell while riding his bike and fractured his right elbow. His parents brought him to a private clinic and doctors fixated hardware to heal his fracture. Now, the hardware is unstable and needs to be removed so he can fully heal. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On March 15th, Phkay will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will cost $230. This procedure will allow him full use of his right arm. Phkay wants to feel well again and told us: "I hope I can easily use my hand again."