10 year old Dennis is the third child in a family of four children, all of whom study at a local primary school. Dennis' father - who is from Uganda - and his mother - who is from Kenya - separated several years ago. Now Dennis and his siblings live with their mother in Marakwet West, Kenya, where Dennis' mother is a casual laborer, working on local farms. On weekends and holidays, Dennis and his siblings assist their mother in her work, so as to earn additional money for the family. While helping a neighbor cut animal feed into small pieces, Dennis' hand was injured by a chaff cutter. When Dennis was brought to the hospital, it was determined that several of the fingers on his right hand had been damaged. Two of the fingers had to be amputated right away, while the third finger subsequently developed gangrene, and also needed to be amputated. While Dennis has recovered from his injuries, the wound on his hand has never healed completely. The surgeon advised the family that Dennis requires skin grafting, in order to replace the skin that he lost when his hand was injured, and to ensure the total healing of the wound. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is here to help. They are requesting $1,089 to fund Dennis' skin grafting procedure, which is scheduled for May 19th, at AIC Kapsowar Hospital. This procedure will enable Dennis to fully recover, so that he can return to school, and resume the life of a 10 year old boy. Dennis's mother said: "It is so sad that my son has lost his fingers, but I am grateful to God that he is still alive. I am looking forward to seeing him get well so that he may continue with his education and become successful in life. Kindly help him so that he may recover well."

Stephen, a 22-month-old baby from Haiti, holds a special place in his parents' hearts as their beloved firstborn. He finds immense joy in gracing the world with his delightful smiles. Recently, Stephen was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his illness, Stephen has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Stephen will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, Project Medishare, is requesting $957 to cover the surgery cost for Stephen at Hospital Bernard Mevs, which will treat his hydrocephalus. This hospital is the only site in the country where this care is currently available, and the procedure is scheduled for June 20th. This necessary treatment will place a shunt to drain the excess fluid from Stephen's brain to reduce intracranial pressure and improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Stephen will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. His parents are excited for their child to be healthy.

Medius is a 31-year-old woman from Uganda who needs surgery to heal her hernia. She was able to attend school only up to fifth grade, but at that point, when she was about 10 years old, her parents separated. At the same time, Medius had surgery for a club foot, requiring a long hospital stay. After that, she did not resume school. She now works as a maid for someone who volunteered to take care of her. For the last year, Medius has had an epigastric hernia - a type of hernia that causes fat to push through a weakened area in the walls of the abdomen. At first, Medius experienced abdominal pains that were intermittent. She received treatment but the results lasted only a short while and the pains persisted. Medius now experiences intermittent swelling, which typically appears after eating or performing heavy work. This causes her severe pain. Surgery has been recommended but Medius cannot raise the required funds. Fortunately, on August 26th, she will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $170 to fund Medius's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow Medius to live more comfortably and confidently. Medius says, “I hope to get well through surgery so that I may do my day-to-day duties comfortably again in the future.”