Recheal is a 20-year-old from Kenya. She is studying in secondary school but has been unable to attend school for the last three months due to her condition. Recheal is the sixth born in a family of eleven children. Her parents are small-scale farmers, growing maize and beans for their family’s home use. Recheal does not have medical coverage, and her parents had to sell cattle and maize to raise Ksh 120,000.00 ($783) to cover her initial surgery costs. Recheal needs to undergo urgent surgery, and her family is requesting financial assistance. Recheal has been diagnosed with an abdominal bile leak that is causing her discomfort and pain. Her doctors have recommended surgery to ease the pain and enable her to resume her studies. She first experienced painful stomach swelling in August 2023. She visited a local health center and was treated for worms, which relieved her of pain for a while, but it recurred with time. She then visited our medical partner’s hospital for review. At the beginning of November, she received a CT scan that showed a liver cyst that required surgery. She underwent a laparotomy to remove the cyst on November 23rd. Four days later, the doctors identified a bile leakage that needed to be rectified. She is now scheduled for emergency surgery on November 28th to fix the fatal condition. African Mission Healthcare (AMH) is requesting $1,074 to fund this surgery. Recheal said, “I have missed school for three months now. This procedure will help ease stomach pain and enable me to return to school.”

Nila is a 6-month-old twin baby from Kenya. Nila’s parents separated immediately after Nila and her twin sister were born. After the separation, her father does not support them in any way. They currently live with their grandmother, who sells fish for a living. To help provide for the family, Nila’s mother does casual jobs like working on her neighbors’ farms. She earns enough to pay her NHIF (National Health Insurance Fund) but cannot raise the needed amount to fund Nila’s urgent surgery needs. Nila has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result, Nila has been experiencing fevers, vomiting, sunset eyes, and an increasing head circumference for the last month. Her mother has been working to get her specialized treatment since she was diagnosed with the condition. Once she was able to connect with our medical partner through a mobile clinic conducted in her hometown, Nila was referred to our medical partner’s main hospital, and urgent surgery was scheduled. Without treatment, Nila will experience severe physical and developmental delays. The procedure is scheduled to take place on November 1st. During the procedure, surgeons will drain the excess fluid from Nila’s brain, thus reducing intracranial pressure and significantly improving her quality of life. With proper treatment, Nila will develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $685 to cover the surgery cost. Nila’s mother said, “It has been very hard for me to take care of Nila for the past month because of the negativity I receive from my family, friends, and the community at large.”

Meet Samnang, a 3-year-old toddler from Cambodia who loves eating mangos and rice porridge and playing with his two older sisters. His parents work in a nearby village as potato and corn farmers. As Samnang is not in school yet, he stays home with relatives. In February 2023, Samnang suffered burns from a gasoline fire near his house. He was immediately taken to a hospital in a nearby province for treatment, where he remained for one month. Samnang has continued to receive follow-up care at a clinic closer to his house. The doctors there suggested the family travel to Phnom Penh to seek further care for burn scarring. Samnang's left hand has developed burn scar contractures, tightening the skin around his fingers and wrist and limiting the function of his hand. When Samnang's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), they traveled for six and a half hours seeking treatment. On November 1st, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help improve his hand function. CSC is requesting $495 to fund this surgery. His family raised $100 for his care. His mother shared her hope that, with treatment, Samnang can use his hand more easily and be able to do things independently.