Meet Gianna, a lovely, four year old girl from Kenya. Gianna lives with her grandmother, while her mother works at a local hotel, and her father is a casual laborer on construction sites. Gianna was born with Osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease. A child born with this condition has soft bones that break easily. Gianna has never walked, and lives in near constant pain. When she did try to walk using support, she fractured some bones. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is here to help Gianna access the care that she needs. On January 16th Gianna will undergo a procedure at AIC Cure International Hospital, that will provide greater support for Gianna's bones, and which may even enable her to gain sufficient strength to walk. Gianna's family is seeking your support to fund the $1,224 needed to pay for the surgery. Gianna's grandmother said: "Gianna has never walked, and my desire is to see her walk like other children. Your financial support to help her undergo surgery will be greatly appreciated."

Saw Kyaw is a 25-year-old man living in Thailand. He currently lives with his older sister, younger sister, mother and her niece. He moved from Burma to Thailand for job opportunities three years ago. He was working in a shop and was able to support two younger siblings who are studying in Karen State in Burma. Around the end of July, he was playing football with friends when he slipped trying to kick the ball. His lower right leg was very painful, but he was still able to bear weight lightly on that leg. At the time, Saw Kyaw didn’t have health insurance, so he went to a clinic instead of the hospital. There they examined his leg, gave him some medication for the pain and advised him to go to the hospital for an X-ray if the pain persisted. Saw Kyaw rested for two days and then went back to work. That day at work, Saw Kyaw was carrying a heavy load when he slipped again. This time, the pain was severe, and he was unable to stand on his right leg. He went to a hospital in Bangkok where they X-rayed his lower right leg and told him that the tibia was fractured. The doctor recommended surgery where they would use a metal rod to connect the bones and set them in the correct position to heal. Saw Kyaw was told that the surgery would cost between 40,000 to 50,000 baht (approx. 1,330- 1,660 USD). He told them that he did not have insurance and was unable to afford the surgery, so they gave him pain medication and bandaged up his leg. He returned to the hospital three times and each time the doctor recommended surgery, but Kyaw was unable to figure out how he could get that kind of money. His employer was not helpful and refused to assist with the cost of the surgery. Since Saw Kyaw didn’t have the money, he decided to just rest and see whether the bones would heal on their own. Saw Kyaw recalled that he had fractured his femur when he was young, and he had used a traditional medicated oil to help heal the injury. He hoped that he could use this on his new fracture. But now he cannot walk properly and cannot work since his accident. He is stressed about his condition and his future. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Saw Kyaw will finally undergo surgery to reset his fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure is scheduled for December 7th and will cost $1,500. He will able to go back to work after surgery Saw Kyaw said, “I would like to go back to Bangkok and find work again so I can go back to helping my family; my siblings who are studying in Burma, and also my mother who is getting older. I also want to save some money for my future. I will not work at the same place though as they have not been kind or caring since I had the accident.”

Emmanuel is a 17-year-old student from Haiti who hopes to become a doctor. He lives with his aunt and uncle in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince so that he can more easily attend school, as his parents live in the countryside. Emmanuel has a cardiac condition called rheumatic mitral regurgitation, which means one of his heart valves was severely damaged from an infection he experienced in early childhood. In 2017, Emmanuel underwent heart surgery to repair his existing valve. This surgery stabilized his heart for several years, but the valve remains unable to pump blood adequately throughout his body. Emmanuel needs to undergo a second surgery to replace the valve with a prosthetic heart valve. Emmanuel will fly to the Dominican Republic to receive treatment, as this surgery is unavailable in Haiti. On November 10th, he will undergo cardiac surgery, during which surgeons will remove the damaged heart valve and implant a replacement valve. An organization called Mitral Foundation is contributing $8,000 to pay for help pay for surgery. Emmanuel's family also needs help to fund the costs of surgery prep. The $1,500 bill covers labs, medicines, and check-up and follow-up appointments. It also supports passport obtainment and the social workers from our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, who will accompany Emmanuel's family overseas. Emmanuel shared, "I am looking forward to growing stronger and having much more energy after my surgery!"

Thanh is from Kampot province in Cambodia, and he and his wife are durian fruit farmers. They have a three-year-old daughter. In his free time, Thanh enjoys exercising, playing chess, and fishing. He also enjoys taking walks with his wife and daughter along the river. In January 2020, Thanh was in a motorbike collision and fractured his right tibia. He had an open reduction with an external fixation device at a local hospital, which was removed several months later. Unfortunately, the surgical site has become infected, with an exposed tibial bone. Thanh has chronic pain and cannot rid himself of the infection. He is unable to walk and feels ashamed that his wife must do much of the management of their small farm that supports their family. Thanh and his family traveled three hours to Children's Surgical Centre, where surgeons recommended debridement of the infected wound and a reverse sural flap. This technique is used to reconstruct defects in the lower part of the leg. Now, Thanh needs help with the $991 cost of this treatment. The cost includes surgery, medications, hospital care, and post-op rehabilitation. Thanh's wife shared: "My husband has been unable to walk or work for more than two years, which has been hard on our family. I hope that the doctors can fix his leg so he can walk well again and help manage the farm."

Panha is a studious, happy 11-year-old boy in grade four. He has 3 brothers and is the second oldest in the family. His parents are farmers, and his mother makes extra money cleaning hotels and businesses. When he is not studying, he enjoys reading books and playing with his friends. For several years, Panha has been experiencing congestion, sore throat, and a hard time breathing at night. He finds it difficult to swallow and doesn't eat much or sleep well at night. These symptoms make him not want to attend school. Panha was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $241 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Panha, which is scheduled to take place on January 13th. Surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Panha of his symptoms and helping him live much more comfortably. His mother shared, "I hope the doctors can fix Panha so he will eat well, and sleep at night. He wants to be like the other children, and he needs help."

Fauzia is a beautiful-20 months old girl, the only child to her parents. She was born normal but as she progressed, her mother noted her legs to be bowing outwardly. She was concerned and decided to seek a doctor. She was put on calcium medication and diet to strengthen the bones. However, she did not improve. They had little income to seek further care for their child. Fortunately, her mother was referred to our facility by a neighbour and encouraged to take the child soonest they could. She was diagnosed with genu varus, a condition where the legs bow outwardly, and surgery recommended to correct the deformity. Fauzia's parents are quite needy. Her father is a truck driver with limited income which he uses to meet the needs of his family. Her mother is a housewife. The family appeals for financial assistance. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $940 to fund corrective surgery for Fauzia. The procedure is scheduled to take place on October 18th. Treatment will hopefully restore Fauzia's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Fauzia’s mother says, “We have tried calcium medication but it has not helped correct her legs, please help her get this treatment the cost is too high for us to afford.”

Rain Angelo is a 5 year old boy from Iloilo with severe malnutrition. Rain enjoys playing with his toys in his family house made of bamboo. They get their water from the tuburan (spring) in the mountains and their electricity from a neighbor. Rain's father is a construction worker and his mother is thankful that her son started malnutrition treatment on October 20, 2016. One out of five children under-5 in International Care Ministries (ICM) communities is either severely or moderately acutely malnourished. Worldwide, poor nutrition is associated with nearly half of all deaths in young children. In remote communities and urban slums of the Philippines, the lack of clean water and unclean environments add risk to potentially fatal childhood diseases. ICM’s Home-Based Feeding program provides nutrient enriched food packs to ensure malnourished children get the additional food to regain normal weight, and achieve optimum physical and mental development. After identifying a child being malnourished, like Rain, staff and community volunteers make weekly visits to monitor this child’s progress. To help sustain the health of the child, ICM's professional staff educate the mother, guardian or other family members about proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene and organic vegetable gardening. "Thank you for enrolling my son in the HBF program." - Rain's mother

Yan Soe is a bright five-year-old boy from Burma who loves going to school. Yan Soe has a hereditary blood disorder in which the body makes an abnormal form of hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. His condition requires him to have regular blood transfusions. In the past, his family has had to solicit and pay blood donors, or ask local monks for help. They recently moved to help get Yan Soe better treatment, but are no longer able to afford the regular transfusions. Even though he is very tired and has no energy, Yan Soe still insists on going to school. A $1,100 splenectomy surgery will eliminate the need for blood transfusions and will help return Yan Soe to a healthy, active life. Yan Soe’s mother says that she is so grateful for the support of donors who will help her son get treatment. She fears that her son’s condition is hereditary, as her younger brother died of similar symptoms when he was eight years old. She does not want to lose Yan Soe as well.