Meet Salmin, an adored newborn baby from Tanzania and the youngest in his family of four children. His father is a soldier and must spend most of his time away from home, and his mother is a teacher. Salmin was born with clubfoot on his right foot and hyperextension on his left knee. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape, which causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Salmin’s parents want to ensure he receives the best care to grow up to live a healthy and fulfilling life. When they learned about our medical partner’s care center, they brought him in for assessment and treatment. Salmin will first receive non-surgical care that involves gentle manipulation and casting of his right foot. Over the course of several weeks, Salmin’s foot angle will gradually improve; then, he will undergo tenotomy surgery on May 16th. After treatment, Salmin will be able to walk easily as he grows and reaches the walking stage. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $935 to fund Salmin’s surgery. Salmin’s mother said: “I have been constantly worried since I got news of my son’s condition. I am hopeful that with the right treatment, he will be fine.”

Lay Hong is a 6-year-old first grader who lives in Takeo province with his single mom. His uncle and other relatives help care for him while his mom works in a nearby athletic shoe factory. Lay Hong loves soccer, playing with his friends, and his Cambodian Studies class. Lay Hong was born with macrodactyly of his right thumb. His thumb is abnormally large due to an overgrowth of the underlying bones and soft tissue. It is difficult for him to use his dominant hand for everyday tasks, including writing in school. Fortunately, surgery can help this congenital problem. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), has arranged for surgeons to perform a macrodactyly repair procedure on November 2nd. CSC is requesting $444 to fund this procedure. After surgery, his doctors hope that Lay Hong's hand will have improved function and appearance. Lay Hong's mom shared, "I hope my son can use his hand easily and it will be easy for him to go to school and play with his friends.

Perepetua is a 40-year-old mother who needs surgery to heal an ovarian cyst. She and her husband are both small-scale farmers, and they have 5 children, ranging in age from 2 to 18 years old. They reside in a modest 3-room mud house. Unfortunately, her husband lacks financial support, leaving her to struggle to cover her children's school fees through farming. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family. Two months ago, Perepetua began to experience lower abdominal pains, as well as backaches, discomfort when getting up, and difficulty turning comfortably in bed. She was diagnosed with a right ovarian cyst and needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) is helping Perepetua receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a curative laparotomy, a surgery to remove the cyst, on July 7th. Perepetua and her family need help with raising $284 to fully fund the surgery. Perepetua shared, “I pray for a successful surgery so that I may continue with farming and be able to take care of my family.”