Gladness is a 5-year-old smart and vibrant girl who enjoys interacting with all kinds of different people. She is the firstborn in a family of two children, and her parents make a living by selling thrift clothes and shoes in Arusha city. Gladness has faced significant health challenges since she was one year old. During playtime she tripped and fell, resulting in an injury to her leg. Her father promptly took her to the hospital, where they received ointment to massage the affected area. Unfortunately, two years later, she had another accident that dislocated her right knee. It was during this hospital visit that the medical professionals discovered a previous, untreated fracture from her first accident, which has caused other problems. Gladness and her father traveled over 180 kilometers to the medical center and our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) is requesting $880 to fund her surgery, which is scheduled for June 27th. Treatment will hopefully restore Gladness's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Gladness’s father shared, "I hope this treatment will help my daughter. I wish for her to grow up without any abnormalities."

Sandos lives in Kampong Cham province with his wife, parents, and sister. His wife is a homemaker, and both of his parents are retired, so he is the primary source of financial support for the family. When not working construction jobs, he likes to play soccer or sing popular Khmer songs. Sandos developed a right elbow deformity as a child, which limits his range of motion. When Sandos was working at a job a month ago, he fell and injured his elbow. His elbow is extremely painful; he cannot bend his arm or work. Fortunately, doctors at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Center, can help. Sandos has been diagnosed with arthritis, which occurs when the cartilage in the elbow becomes worn or damaged. Damage can occur due to an injury, such as a fracture or dislocation. He now needs help to pay for a $579 elbow repair surgery. After surgery and rehabilitation, Sandos will have an improved quality of life, decreased pain, and can return to construction work to support his family.

Meet Anna from Malawi: a 55 year old married mother of two children, aged 38 and 35 respectively. Anna is a business woman, whose husband does piece work in town when he can get jobs to do. Anna was healthy until about 30 years ago, when she started experiencing intermittent swelling above the umbilical area. She didn't think it was important, so she did not seek medical help. Over time, however, the frequency of the swelling episodes increased, and she began to experience discomfort. In 2022, Anna’s condition deteriorated, and she visited different hospitals, where the problem was associated with her raised blood pressure. Due to increased swelling, Anna found that she could no longer conduct her business. In September of this year, Anna visited a private hospital, where a diagnosis of an epigastric hernia was made. Surgical intervention is required. If the hernia is left untreated, it could become strangulated, which can be a life threatening development. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is seeking $575 to fund Anna's hernia repair surgery, which is scheduled for November 15th, at Partners in Hope Medical Center. Anna looks forward to a successful surgery that will enable her to refocus on her business, so that she can continue supporting her family.