Woldegibreal is a 10-year-old boy, living with his parents and two younger siblings in Ethiopia. He is an intelligent and loving boy, who helps his parents around the house, and with looking after his two siblings. He also loves music and playing football. Woldegibreal was born with a congenital abnormality, which leaves his bladder exposed to the open air, and leaking urine directly into his abdomen. Because of this, Woldegibreal is prone to infections and injury to his bladder, and suffers from constant pain and discomfort. There is a surgical procedure which can correct Woldegibreal's condition. However, even though his parents work hard on the land that they have, they are unable to sustain their family, due to the poor harvests which result from the hot and dry area where they live. They survive with support from others and are unable to cover the costs of Woldegibreal's surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is seeking $1,500 to cover the cost of the life-changing procedure for Woldegibreal, scheduled to take place at BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre on May 24th. This procedure will enable Woldegibreal to heal, and to enjoy a full and healthy life. His father shared: “If he gets the surgery we will faint in happiness. We will bless all who helped him. We will send him to school. And we will lead our life with thanksgiving and gratitude.”

Oun is a 70-year-old mother of four. She has two sons, two daughters, and many grandchildren. When she was younger, Oun would sell bread from a cart. Nowadays she stays at home and cares for her grandchildren. Oun's husband died during the Khmer Rouge era in Cambodia. She now lives with her second daughter who is a garment worker. One year ago, Oun developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her blurry vision, photophobia, and tearing. When Oun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On October 14th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and will place an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Oun says, "I hope I can see clearly after surgery. I want to help my daughter do housework and cook for my grandchildren. Also, I would like to visit the pagoda by myself."

Panha is a 64-year-old journalist. He has two sons, three daughters, and three grandchildren. Panha lives with his wife and their youngest daughter. Nowadays, Panha can not go to work because of his poor vision. He enjoys listening to the news from his phone. Three years ago, Panha developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him blurry vision, photophobia, and tearing. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Panha learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On September 1st, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and will place an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Panha said, "I hope I can see clearly so I can work well, read, write, and drive my motorbike well."

Pak is a 67-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She has one son and one daughter, and three grandchildren. Her husband passed away several years ago, so she has taken over his duties in farming too. In her free time, she likes visit monks at the pagoda and listen to news on the radio. Five years ago, Pak developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Pak learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three-and-a-half hours seeking treatment. On May 7th, 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 $229 procedure. Pak said, "My daughter has been very worried about me and has to take over my work when I cannot do it. I want to see clearly, so I can work again and she will not worry about me."

Jayden is a 2-month-old baby from Tanzania. Jayden has an older sister who is five years old and she loves to be close to Jayden most of the time. Jayden's father works as a driver in public transport while his mother sells food during the day at the local market. They shared that their income is not much but it enables them to make ends meet. Jayden was born a healthy baby but after two weeks, his mother noticed he had a swelling on his head. The mass is increasing in size and may cause him pain and discomfort, and become more serious if not treated. Jayden traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On September 3rd, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Jayden needs help to raise $724 to fund this procedure. Jayden’s mother says, “We would love our baby to have this surgery but we are unable to afford the cost. We are concerned if we keep waiting it could lead to complications later on. Please help.”

Komugisha is a 46-year-old mother of two from Uganda. Her oldest is 21 years old and her youngest is 14 years old and in secondary school. Komugisha is a second wife to her husband who is a casual laborer at national teachers’ college in Uganda. She shared that he offers minimal support to her and their children so Komugisha stays with her parents. In 2006, Komugisha had a c-section delivery for her last born and said that she has been in pain and had challenges since that time. Due to severe pain, she has stopped her usual duties of managing her small bar and hotel and currently stays home feeling helpless, she says. She came to Rushoroza Hospital to seek medical advice. At Rushoroza, Komugisha presented with a long-standing history of lower abdominal pains and reports to have several treatments with no improvement. If not treated, severe lower abdominal pains will continue to affect her quality of life negatively. She has been diagnosed with chronic pelvic inflammatory disease and needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $228 to fund Komugisha's surgery. On October 14th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Komugisha will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain and her quality of life will improve. Komugisha says, “I pray that I may get the required treatment soon because I am in severe pain; I can no longer carry out my survival duties normally. Given the opportunity, I will resume my small hotel and bar as soon as possible.”

Veasna lives with her parents, who are farmers. She has five older siblings, all of whom are married and live in other areas. She works at a local government office. In her free time she loves reading, writing her own stories, researching on the internet, and having discussions with friends. When she was younger, Veasna had her left leg amputated below the knee. However, the residual limb she was left with was not suitable for her prosthesis. When using her prosthesis, she experiences discomfort, pain while walking, and soreness. She came to CSC in order to have a surgical procedure in which her limb will be reshaped in order to better fit her prosthesis. Once she has recovered from this surgery, she will have much better functionality of her prosthetic limb and will no longer experience pain or discomfort while doing physical activities. Veasna said, "I have had this pain while walking for so long. I thought that I could not get more surgery to make things better, but thanks to CSC, I think I will be able to get rid of my problems with my leg."

Markon is a baby from Ethiopia. He is a cute baby boy who exclusively breastfeeds. His mother is a 16-year-old teen who ran away from her home at age 10 because of abuse and she lived in an orphanage until she turned 15. She did not go to school because she suffers from a heart condition that causes her to faint, and she would even faint on her way to school. After Markon’s mother got out of the orphanage she met a man who got her pregnant. He moved to another state and does not want to be involved in their baby’s life. A charitable organization now supports her with her food, shelter, and on her basic needs. Since birth, Markon has had inguinal hernias. The hernia causes him discomfort and he often cries. Fortunately, on February 13th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $562 to fund Markon's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. She said “After the treatment I believe, he will get better. And I have a dream to educate him. And I hope he will achieve big in his life.”

Ivan is a baby boy from Tanzania. He is a healthy and jovial little baby, the only child to his parents. His father denied Ivan's pregnancy when his mother informed him and since then, offers no support to Ivan's mom. Upon delivery, Ivan's mother was informed of a congenital condition of her son. Through a Facebook post of Plaster House, his mother decided to bring him for review and Ivan was diagnosed with bilateral clubfoot. Doctors recommend a treatment plan of clubfoot manipulation and casting.  Ivan's mother is a small business operator selling bananas near her village to make a living. Without financial assistance, Ivan's mother will not be able to pay for her son's surgery. She appeals for financial support. Ivan 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, Ivan traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on March 13th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $890 to fund Ivan's clubfoot repair. After treatment, Ivan will be able to walk easily. Ivan’s mother says, “I would love to see my son walk like other normal children and not have to go through difficulty in walking or discriminated due to disability. Please help treat my him since the cost is too high for me to afford."

Chea is a 57-year-old food seller from Cambodia. He has three children, and enjoys chatting with his friends and watching Khmer boxing on television. One year ago, Chea developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him blurry vision. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Chea learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On November 6th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $211 procedure. Chea said, "I hope that I will be able to see clearly again so I can go outside on my own and cook food again"

Meet Cynthia: a calm girl who is almost turning two. Just two days ago, Cynthia arrived to our medical partner's hospital after falling from being knocked by a sheep, where she fractured her right hand. X-ray imaging revealed a closed supracondylar fracture. Cynthia was admitted for skin traction and she now requires OREF surgery to correct the fracture. This will allow her hand to heal and reduce the chances of healing badly and persistent pain. Cynthia was born and raised in a small village called Sisiya where most of the community works in farms or other small not very stable jobs. Cynthia parents don’t have a formal education. Her mother is a housewife and his father is a security guard in a building. They live in a small mud hut with grass as a roof. Her family gets its food from their small farm, which consists mostly of maize, beans and vegetables. The family doesn’t have money to pay for their daughter’s surgery and she needs $763. The family’s income per month is roughly $30. Her mother is hoping for financial support so that her daughter can undergo the surgery.

We met with eleven-year-old Ian in the hospital ward as he was admitted for a skin traction after he fell from a tree and broke his left hand. His mother sat beside him helplessly while she watched her only son in pain. It took me time for his mother to talk as she was feeling very disturbed and stressed because of her son's condition. She was trying to help him sit up but he couldn’t because of his fractured hand. Ian was brought to the hospital accompanied by his parents. They walked for hours to get the nearest health facility where he was referred to our hospital for surgical review. On arrival, he had an x-ray done which showed that Ian had fractured his left supracondylar. Ian is the third born child in a family of five. He is the eldest son of Christine and Isaac. They are a humble family who is struggling financially and often lack food for their children. Ian's father is a farmer and his mother is a housewife. They live in a two-roomed mud house in upcountry of Kenya. Ian's father, who is a maize farmer says that his farming is not doing well due to poor rains in the area and he has not been getting good yields in recent years. Medical examination shows that Ian needs urgent surgical intervention for his hand, but his family is unable to raise money for their son’s surgery apart from $30 that they collected from friends and family. His family is requesting our prayers and financial support for Ian’s treatment enable him use his hand. Christine, Ian’s mother says, “It is painful to see my son cry in pain. I hope he will receive treatment soon. All I want is to see him happy.”