Rayan is a baby from Tanzania with two siblings. Their parents are small-scale farmers and cattle breeders who cultivate maize and wheat, and cattle for milk production. The family's livelihood has been impacted by drought, and recently the cost of maintaining the farm exceeds any profit they make. When Ryan was 11 months old, he crawled to the kitchen where his mother had started an open fire, and burned his right hand on a piece of firewood. The scars from the wound have since made it difficult for Rayan to use his right hand because the skin around the fingers is webbed together. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, will help Rayan with treatment. On March 9th, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery. After the procedure, Rayan will be able to open his fingers fully and use his hand. Now, Rayan and his family need help to fund this $832 procedure. Rayans’s mother says, “I hope this surgery will be a big step in helping my son’s condition.”

Liza is a 4-year old girl who loves playing with her brother and eating fried eggs with rice. Her dad is a fisherman, and mother cares for her and her 1-year old brother at home. When she was an infant, Liza had an ear infection which caused a cholesteatoma - abnormal skin growth - to develop in the middle ear behind her ear drum. This has caused Liza to experience difficulty hearing and subsequently a speech delay. Liza's family traveled to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, to receive treatment. On March 6th, she will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in her both ears, during which ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Children's Surgical Centre is requesting $926 to fund this procedure. This support will cover medications, supplies, and inpatient care for Liza. Liza's parents are constantly worried about her, and they hope that this treatment will allow her to communicate and hear when she starts school next year.

Fikir is a thirteen-month-old baby from Ethiopia. He is playful and loves spending time with his mother, playing with other children, and watching cartoons. He loves drinking milk and eating foods made from corn flour. Fikir has an older brother who is three years old. His father works as a shoe-shiner and sells plastic bags and socks. His mother used to sell coffee and tea and now stays at home taking care of the children. Fikir was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will eventually be at risk of cancer and infertility. Fortunately, Fikir is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on March 6th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,293 to cover the cost of his procedure and care. Fikir's mother said, “Once he gets well, I will educate him. I want him to help people in the future. I hope he will be a doctor.”

Stravensky, who is 18 years old, and in his final year of high school, lives in Port-au-Prince in Haiti, with his parents and two sisters. He aspires to go on to university to study engineering. Stravensky was born with atrial septal defect, a cardiac condition, where a hole exists between the upper two chambers in his heart. Instead of circulating through his lungs and picking up oxygen, the blood leaks through the hole, leaving him weak and short of breath. Our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, is seeking $1,500 to fund the costs of the surgery that Stravensky needs to repair his heart. The procedure, during which the hole will be repaired, is scheduled for February 1st, at Clinica Corominas. After this life changing operation, Stravensky should be able to live a healthy and comfortable life, and to pursue his ambitions without experiencing his current symptoms. From Stravensky: "I have been hoping to have my heart fixed ever since I was a small child - I can't believe it is finally happening!"

Valmy is a 10-month-old infant from Haiti. He lives with his mother, father, and older brother. Valmy has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, Valmy has been experiencing Increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Valmy will have severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $897 to cover the cost of surgery for Valmy at Hospital Bernard Mevs that will treat his hydrocephalus. This is the only site in the country where this care is currently available, and the procedure is scheduled to take place on February 2nd. This critical treatment will drain the excess fluid from Valmy's brain to reduce the intracranial pressure and will greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Valmy will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. The family is looking forward to their child being able to grow up to walk and talk.

Abdi is a one month old baby. His father is the sole breadwinner, and his mother is a homemaker. Abdi's father works as a local salesperson. The money he gets enables him to provide for his family but is limited to basic needs, and with the current high inflation, Abdi's father says it has been hard for him to provide. Abdi has 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. Fortunately, Abdi traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on November 8th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $935 to fund Abdi's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily when he grows up and will be able to wear shoes like any other child. Abdi’s mother says, “This condition has been stressful, I wish my son gets well.”

Milka is a 48-year-old woman. She is the mother of three children, between 6 and 26 years. She works harvesting tea at a tea plantation, while her husband gets jobs working at construction sites. Their income is not enough to pay for life-saving surgery, and they do not have medical coverage. Milka woke up one morning at the beginning of February this past year and discovered a lump in her right breast. It was painless at first, but later became painful. She went to a clinic in her local area, but was referred to a bigger facility that offers cancer care. She came to Kijabe Hospital this month where she had an ultrasound, mammogram, and a core biopsy that revealed cancer. Milka has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Without treatment, the cancer may spread to other organs. Doctors recommend a mastectomy, a surgery to remove breast tissue, to rid her body of breast cancer and to prevent the cancer from metastasizing, or spreading. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1110 to cover the cost of a mastectomy for Milka. The procedure is scheduled to take place on November 8th. After treatment, Milka will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Milka says, "I might be scared that I am losing my breast, but I know it is important to stop the cancer.”