Bros is a proud father of one son and one daughter. He and his wife grow vegetables and sell them at the local vegetable market. At home, Bros likes to play chess with his friends. For the past several years, Bros has had ear fullness and hearing loss in both ears, although the left ear is worse. He has not sought any treatment because they cannot afford expensive medicines from local pharmacies. He has difficulty communicating with his family and customers, and he feels embarrassed about his hearing loss. Bros was told about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, from relatives, where he went for a diagnosis and treatment of his hearing loss. Surgeons have diagnosed him with chronic otitis media, which is a recurrent infection of the middle ear and/or mastoid air cells in the presence of tympanic membrane perforation. There are no medicines that will cure this disease. On October 19th, Bros will undergo a left ear myringotomy to remove all of the infection to restore his hearing. He needs assistance to pay the $184 cost, which will cover medicines, surgery, and post-operative care. Bros said: "I hope after surgery I will not have ear fullness and pain and I will have my better hearing back again."

Primer is a father of three from Haiti. He lives in a small village in southwestern Haiti with his wife and three children; he is a farmer and sells produce in the local market. Primer has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation. One of the four valves of his heart is severely damaged as the result of a rheumatic infection he suffered a number of years ago, and cannot adequately pump blood through his heart and body. The surgery that Primer needs is not available anywhere in the country so he will fly to Dominican Republic to receive treatment. On September 13th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will remove the damaged valve and implant an artificial replacement. Haiti Cardiac Alliance is contributing $9000 to pay for surgery. Primer's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and checkup and followup appointments. It also covers travel expenses for the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Primer's family overseas, as well as the cost of obtaining Prince's passport. Prince says: "I am very grateful to be having this surgery so I can take care of my family and see my children grow up."

Gedion is a happy and talkative 16-year-old from Kenya who is currently a student in standard eight. He is the thirdborn in a family of six. Since their mother left them a few years ago, he and his siblings live with their father in their rural home on a small piece of land. Gedion's father works as a casual laborer and burns charcoal for sale to provide for their family's basic needs, as well as to pay for the children's school fees. His family also plants maize and beans on their small piece of land to feed themselves. During holidays and on the weekends, Gedion and his siblings usually work on other people's farms to provide additional income. He shares that life for his family has been very difficult, but they have been working hard in order to fight poverty together. This past Saturday, Gedion was brought into our medical partner's care center, AIC Kapsowar Hospital, via an ambulance from a facility near his home after being involved in a road traffic accident. While Gedion was on his way home from a nearby shopping center, a tractor passed by. He hopped onto it in order to reach home faster since he was still far from home and it was already beginning to become dark. There were some people already on the tractor, so they continued with their journey together. While they were on their way, the tractor lost control and fell down. The people riding were all rushed to a nearby facility. While those with minor injuries were able to be treated at the local facility, three of the riders, including Gedion, had to be referred to our medical partner's care center. During the accident, he sustained a fracture of his right femur and is currently experiencing a lot of pain. He is also unable to use his leg. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On August 12th, Gedion will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which is called an open reduction and internal fixation. After treatment, he will be able to use his leg again, attend school, and help out at home. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,145 to fund this procedure. Gedion shares, "This state has really pulled me down. I don’t know what to do. Kindly help me so that I may be able to pursue my dreams and change the state of my family.”

Hosea is a hardworking 18-year-old man from a small village in rural Kenya. He currently lives with his mother, who became a single mother after his father unfortunately passed away a few years ago. To help his sick mother support their family, Hosea works as a shopkeeper in the nearby center and earns a small amount of money. One day, while he was riding his motorbike on his way home from work, Hosea was involved in a road traffic accident. He was rushed to a nearby facility by well-wishers where his lower limb was stabilized with plaster. After this emergency procedure, he was seen by an orthopedic specialist, and an X-ray was done. This scan showed that Hosea has a fracture of his mid-shaft femur and that it is displaced. Because of his injuries, he is currently unable to walk without support. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, can help. On July 6th, Hosea will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. The treatment will help him walk without difficulty again. Now, our medical partner is requesting $1,145 to fund this procedure. Hosea says, "Our family is in a hard state, and I am not able to raise the money. Please help me get back on my feet so that I can be able to work and earn a living.”

Lydiah is a 39-year-old woman, living with her husband and teenaged child in Kenya. While Lydiah works as a vegetable vendor - traditionally known as a mama mboga - her husband is employed as a clothing vendor. On her way to work in March 2021, Lydiah was hit by a motorcycle. She sustained a fracture of the right femur, necessitating three surgeries and multiple trips to the hospital. Despite the care that she has already received, an infection of the fracture has set in, and if Lydiah doesn't receive treatment soon, she risks losing her leg and becoming permanently disabled. Currently, Lydiah cannot walk, and is confined to a wheelchair. Lydiah is scheduled to undergo surgery for the infected fracture on May 24th, at the AIC Kijabe Hospital. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of Lydiah's surgery, which will enable her to walk again. Lydiah says, “I haven’t been able to go to the market to sell my vegetables because of the fracture and multiple infections. I am afraid of losing my leg and being unable to walk. I am in constant pain and need support to get this treatment.”

Oeun is a 73-year-old retired rice farmer. She has two sons and four grandchildren. She lives alone near one of her sons since her husband passed away. Due to her poor vision, she stays at home and takes care of her grandchildren while her sons work. At home, she likes to cook for her grandchildren and listen to the monks pray on the radio. Two years ago, Oeun developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her blurry vision and difficulty walking outside in bright lights. When Oeun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for four and a half hours seeking treatment. On May 4th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery, and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Oeun says, "I hope after surgery I can see again and go outside and take care of myself. I want to continue to take care of my grandchildren."

Sreyda is a 26-year-old grocery seller with five siblings. She currently lives with her parents and her sister. Sreyda enjoys watching movies and spending time chatting with her relatives. Three years ago, Sreyda had a severe ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. This has now caused Sreyda to experience hearing loss, tinnitus, and ear discharge. Sreyda traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On April 19th, Sreyda will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in her right ear where ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is helping Sreyda and her family raise $926 to cover her procedure, medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Sreyda says, "I'm really hoping all of the ear discharge will stop and my hearing will improve."

Esther is an adorable two-year-old girl from Kenya who is the only child in her family. Her father used to work in a shop, but he unfortunately lost his job over three months ago. Her mother sells shoes in a local town center to help support their family. When she was seven months old, Esther began experiencing severe constipation, even going two weeks without passing stool. Her worried parents took her to four different hospitals and received different types of medication, which were all ineffective. Fortunately, one of her aunts heard about her condition and referred her to our medical partner's care center, Bethanykids Kijabe Hospital. At the hospital, Esther was examined and diagnosed with Hirschsprung’s disease, a condition that causes difficulty passing stool. She began treatment immediately and eventually underwent several surgeries to rectify her condition. These procedures were all funded by her family's insurance. One of the surgeries Esther underwent was a colostomy, in which the end of the colon is brought through an opening in the abdominal wall. This surgery is often performed to bypass bowel malformations, but colostomies are usually temporary and may call for closure. In Esther's case, her colostomy requires closure in order to restore bowel function and prevent future complications. However, her family is unable to fund this needed surgery, as their insurance rejected their funding request due to a depletion of funds. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), is helping Esther receive treatment. The surgery is scheduled to take place on July 25th and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably and confidently. AMHF is requesting $1,084 to cover the cost of a colostomy closure for Esther. Esther’s mother says, “As a family, we have gone through a lot with our daughter, but we are grateful to God that the treatment is almost over.”

Simon is a 20-year-old who, since he was a little boy, he has worked selling goods at a nearby open market. He has no stable source of income and is currently unable to work due to his medical condition. His single mother is unable to support him. Fortunately, his friend is allowing him to stay in their single room close to the city market. Two years ago, Simon began experiencing pain in his left knee, causing him to limp as he walked. His pain eventually spread to his hip. He now cannot walk without a walking stick and has an infected hip and knee, which are limiting his mobility. After receiving a CT scan, Simon was diagnosed with septic arthritis, which is inflammation of a joint caused by an infection, and sequelae of the hip. In hopes to help his condition, Simon visited visited Kenyatta National Hospital. He has since been on medical follow-up for septic arthritis at the facility without any surgical intervention. He eventually had to stop attending the follow-up clinics due to a lack of financial resources. Fortunately, a friend told Simon about our medical partner's care center, and he traveled there to receive treatment. Now, Simon is scheduled to undergo a treatment on July 8th. This will hopefully finally help heal his condition and relieve his pain. Our medical partner is requesting $1,500 to fund his treatment. Simon shares, “I can barely move my leg without support from this walking stick. My hip is painful and my knee is just unbearable. I cannot work in my condition and therefore am struggling to survive.”

Horn is a 72-year-old man with one son, seven daughters, and many grandchildren. Horn shared that his favorite activities include playing with his grandchildren, exercising, going to the pagoda, and meeting friends to drink tea. Horn has a squamous cell carcinoma, which is a type of skin cancer, on his left heel. The wound on his heel has become infected and he is worried about it worsening and spreading. When Horn learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On April 21st, surgeons at CSC will perform an excision and reverse sural flap procedure to heal his wound. Now, Horn needs help to fund this $673 procedure. Horn says, "After surgery, I hope my infection and pain are gone and I can return home soon."