Tag: operation

While these are common necessities to most, tubes of toothpaste can sometimes be scarce in households where the ultra-poor live. To help them develop healthy habits, part of ICM’s Transform program educates participants about proper hygiene. Since 1992, ICM has been in the business of transforming lives from a physical, social, and spiritual standpoint. Indeed,...

Nineteen-year-old Gem had to stop attending school and enter the workforce the year she turned 13. One of seven siblings, Gem’s parents had separated when she was nine. Gem’s mother went to work in Manila, but would only send money home when she was employed. Gem’s father worked as a seasonal farmer, and his income...

‘Crooked Arm’ was the name Kim-kim’s classmates called him in the schoolyard.  It was an unsurprising nickname – the six-year old’s dislocated elbow hung at an obvious and uncomfortable angle. The bullying didn’t stop with name calling; unable to defend himself, Kim-kim was pushed around and roughed up in the schoolyard as well.  It got...

“Please help our child receive surgery. We want her to grow up normally,  become happy and be successful in the future.” This was Jonamie and Jeperlito’s plea for their three-year-old daughter, Jasmine.   Jasmine appeared to be a healthy seven-month-old until one day she began to vomit uncontrollably. Her parents rushed Jasmine to the hospital...

Joshua E was surfing the internet from his home in Los Angeles. The medical student had developed an effective motivation to keep up with his studies and schedule: if he didn’t complete his daily tasks, he would donate US$20 to charity. One day, Joshua E didn’t finish his jobs. Making good on his promise to...

Last November, Janice noticed her middle daughter Carla Mae’s mouth and eye were swelling. Lips that were just cracked a few days previously, were now swollen and blistered. The single mother of five was concerned, but searching for enough work to feed her family was a higher priority than solving what seemed a small medical...

Anyone who attended the 2015 ICM Banquet will remember the remarkable story of Susan Entong. In 2002, Susan was just 11 years old when her drunken father threw a kerosene lamp at her, extensively burning her face and body. For three years, she suffered from festering wounds because the medical treatment she required was not available...

Reynanye is seven years old and lives with his mother Miraflor and four siblings in a poor community. In early 2015, Reynanye began having trouble with his vision. Despite the family’s financial situation, Miraflor made an eye appointment for Reynanye, where the young boy was diagnosed with major congenital cataracts. In August 2015, Reynanye underwent...

Joy is a single mother of three children. Despite a stable job as a recruiter, she was unable to to afford treatment for her thyroid problem. Left untreated, Joy’s condition worsened. She lost her job because she was embarrassed to be seen in public. To help save money, she took her children and moved back...

Reynaldo Deles lost his eyesight in an auto accident six years ago.  Although surgery in 2011 restored the sight to one eye, a lack of money meant Reynaldo was unable to attend the crucial follow-up appointments and he became totally blind. Without eyesight, Reynaldo was no longer able to continue his job as a farmhand. With no...