Moses is a playful four-year-old boy from Nyandarua County in Kenya. He is the seventh and youngest child in his family. Both of his parents are peasant farmers. Moses was a healthy child at birth. However, last year his mother noticed an unusual bending of his legs towards each other, known as knock knees. At that time, Moses' mother was told to wait until Moses was older before considering treatment. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,224 to fund hemiepiphysiodesis surgery for Moses, which is scheduled for April 18th at AIC Cure International Hospital. This procedure, also known as guided growth, will gradually correct Moses' angular limb deformity, enabling him to walk comfortably as he grows older. “I will appreciate any kind of support purposed to help my boy walk normally like other children.” Moses’s mother told us.

Meet Aman, a smart, kind, five year old boy, who lives with his family in Ethiopia. Aman likes to help care for his siblings, and to play football. While his parents are farmers, his mother has been unable to work, of late, due to an issue with her eyes. Aman's mother shared that he developed visible changes to the shape of his abdomen, swelling, pain and bloating. Ultimately, he has been diagnosed with a mass on his abdominal wall. As a result of this mass, Aman experiences a variety of challenging symptoms, while his parents are emotionally distressed from watching their child suffer. With the assistance of our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, Aman is now scheduled for an abdominal resection - the removal of the mass - on January 5th, at BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre. The cost of Aman's procedure and care is $1,500, and their family needs your help to fund this procedure to alleviate Aman's suffering. Aman's mother says: “I want him to recover from this disease and be healthy. After this treatment I wish for him to play like his friends. I hope he will get married one day, and I want to see my grandchildren in the future.”

Emmanuel is a baby from Uganda. He is the last born in a family of three children. His mother is a housewife, and his father is a small-scale farmer. Their firstborn is 8 years old and in primary school class two, while the second is 5 years old and in middle junior class. They rent a single room for shelter, located within walking distance from Rushoroza hospital. One month after birth, Emmanuel has since had a right inguinal hernia. He was born via a C-section at Rushoroza Hospital under the SAFE fund. His mother reports that her son developed a small inguinal swelling and an umbilical swelling (hernia) that later disappeared. She was told to wait until he was one year old so that surgery could be done. The hernia makes him uncomfortable and irritable, and the herbs the mother has been using as treatment are no longer working. Fortunately, on March 7th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $170 to fund Emmanuel's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Emmanuel’s mother says, “I pray that my son may have a successful surgery so that he may live a comfortable life and grow into a big man in the future."

Srey Pov is an introverted 11-year-old student from Cambodia. She has three brothers and she is the youngest child in her family. Her parents are laborers on a rice farm in Kandal province, and she is in fourth grade at the provincial school. Her favorite subject in school is Khmer literature and she wants to be a teacher when she grows up. At home, she likes to watch cartoons and her favorite food is pork fried with vegetables. Srey Pov has strabismus in both eyes. Strabismus is a misalignment of the eye caused by injury or dysfunction in the associated nerves and muscles. It is difficult for her to see clearly and study, and she often has headaches. Her parents recognized her strabismus when she was two years old, but could not afford the surgery until they heard about Children's Surgical Centre from a relative. Srey Pov traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On March 21st, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will perform a corrective procedure to align her eyes. Now, Srey Pov needs help to raise $331 to fund this procedure. Her mother said, "I hope after surgery her eye looks straight and she can see normally like other children. She is very shy in school, and we hope she will not feel that way anymore."

Namara is a 3-year-old child from Uganda. He and his four siblings live with their mother and grandparents. The children depend on their grandparents who are small-scale farmers as well as well-wishers, friends, and relatives for financial support. Namara’s mother reports that her son developed an on-and-off small swelling in his private parts two years ago. Later, Namara began to refuse to eat, vomiting whenever he ate, and soon started to cough as well. His mother realized that these conditions would develop whenever the swelling appeared because he would be in pain. He was taken to the nearest health center and was given medication, but it only helped for a short while. Currently, he cries a lot when the swelling appears. Namara was diagnosed right inguinal hernia. This hernia causes him pain and discomfort. Fortunately, on February 3rd, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Namara and his family need help raising $170 to fund his procedure and care. Namara’s mother says, “My son’s condition is worrying and [he] has had medication without improvement. I pray that he may get well through surgery so that he may be able to start school comfortably.”

Precious is a 9-year-old daughter to a bodaboda operator and farmer from Uganda. She is a confident and sharp girl who is currently studying in second grade. She is the second oldest in a family of three children, with two brothers who are also students. Precious performs exceptionally well in class, and she was the first in her class last term. Precious has experienced swelling on her neck for the past eight months, and it continues to grow in size. She is experiencing difficulty turning her neck sideways and feels pain when swallowing. Her parents have been concerned about her condition, and they hope she will get well. Precious traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On March 14th, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Precious needs help to raise $137 to fund this procedure. After this procedure, Precious should be able to live her life more comfortably and confidently. Precious' father said, “I hope that when she is operated on, she will completely be healed.”

Mon is a playful 4-year-old from Burma. She lives with her parents on the Thai-Burma border. Her mother works as a chef in a tea shop, and her father works as a day laborer. Her parents take turns looking after her. When Mon was one and a half years old, her mother noticed that her head was increasing in size and that Mon's left side of her body was becoming weak. They brought Yon to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and later received a VP shunt. After the surgery, Mon began to experience frequent seizures and vomiting. Her mother brought her to our medical partner's hospital, where the doctor suspected her shunt might be blocked. The doctors want Mon to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose her condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Mon will receive a CT scan on February 9th. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF), is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Mon's CT scan and care. Mon's mother shared: "I am very thankful for the help I received from BCMF. I am worried about my child's further treatment because we have no money. After we get her CT result, we will know her [VP] shunt condition and about her further treatment."

Mbula is a young girl from Tanzania. She has one sibling and lives with her family in a remote area far from the city; it’s hard for them to access basic social services. Mbula is raised by two loving parents who are farmers. They depend on their harvest to provide for their family. With the recent years' weather changing and droughts, it has been hard for them because they cannot depend on the rainy season for agriculture. This has made it difficult to sustain food at home. Mbula was diagnosed with genu varus, which causes her legs to bow outward. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, she has difficulty walking and running.. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is asking for $880 to fund corrective surgery for Mbula. The procedure is scheduled to take place on December 2nd. Treatment will hopefully restore Mbula's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Mbula’s mother says, “I feel sorry for my daughter, she has to go through pain almost every day.”

Meet Sophanun, a 12-year-old student from Cambodia. His favorite subject in school is English, and he hopes to become an English teacher or translator when he grows up. In his free time, Sophanun likes playing soccer with his friends. Last week, Sophanun had a bad cold, and since then, he has been experiencing ear discharge, tinnitus, and hearing loss. He also keeps waking up throughout the night, causing him to feel tired at school. Medication has not improved his symptoms, and his family brought him to our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), for help. On March 13th, surgeons at CSC will perform a myringotomy procedure to drain the fluid from his ears so he can hear well and no longer experience uncomfortable symptoms. CSC is requesting $184 to fund this procedure. Sophanun's family contributed $75 to his care. His mother shared: "I hope he feels better after surgery and can go back to school."

Sovireak Both is a studious first grader. He loves fried noodles and playing tag with his friends. He is a middle child and enjoys going to school, especially learning how to write Cambodian script. Sovireak Both has strabismus in both eyes. Strabismus is a misalignment of the eye caused by injury or dysfunction in the associated nerves and muscles. He gets headaches, blurry vision, and if not treated, he could have long-term vision problems such as issues with depth perception and double vision. Sovireak Both's family traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On March 1st, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will perform a corrective procedure to align his eyes. Now, his family needs help to raise $331 to fund this procedure. His mother said, "I hope my son can be happy with his eyes and do well in school."

Chantha is a six-year-old student from Cambodia in the first grade. She lives with her parents, who are rice farmers, and her three-year-old brother. When she is not in school, Chantha enjoys playing with her little brother and neighbors. Since birth, Chantha has had left hip pain and difficulty crawling and walking. As she grew, her parents and doctors noticed her left leg was shorter than her right leg. To correct this, surgeons fixated plate screws to her left leg. Since the screws were placed, she has been able to walk well, and can even run. Now that her left leg has been corrected, the screws need to be removed to prevent future complications as she grows. Surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), can help. On November 17th, Chantha will undergo a hardware removal procedure. Now, she and her family need help raising $304 to fund her procedure and care. Chantha's mother shared, "I hope my daughter can continue to walk easily and without pain after this procedure."

Kim Hong is a 13-year-old seventh grader from a rural province in Cambodia near the Vietnamese border. He lives with his parents and two siblings. His father is a motorbike taxi driver and his mother works in a factory. In school, Kim Hong enjoys social studies and math, and he would like to be a doctor one day. After school, he likes playing with water guns with his friends. He shared that his favorite food is "anything fried", but unfortunately for the last three years, it has been difficult for him to eat. For three years, Kim Hong has been experiencing sore throats and difficulty swallowing. He is often uncomfortable and misses school. He was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly worsen over time. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), can help. On February 1st, Kim Hong will undergo a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, where surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids. This procedure will hopefully relieve Kim Hong of his symptoms and help him live much more comfortably. Now, he and his family need help raising $265 to fund his procedure and care. Kim Hong shared, "I hope after surgery I can eat a lot, and stop taking medication all the time because I don't like the taste."