Edina, a 41-year-old mother of seven, works as a vegetable seller, earning about $2.97 per day for her family's upkeep. She finds joy interacting with her customers and has a fondness for chicken and nsima, a Malawian staple porridge made from maize flour. Four years ago, Edina discovered a small, painless swelling on the right side of her neck. After seeking medical advice at a nearby hospital, she was diagnosed with goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland. She was instructed to wait for an opportunity for surgery, but her condition has worsened, causing breathlessness, neck pain, and difficulty lifting heavy objects. This has affected her work capacity and resulted in a decrease in income. Inspired by a fellow community member's journey to seek help, Edina visited our medical partner's care facility, Partners in Hope Medical Centre, where a surgeon reconfirmed the need for a thyroidectomy, the surgical removal of all or part of your thyroid gland. Faced with financial hardships, Edina is seeking support for her surgery treatment. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Edina receive treatment. On March 20th, surgeons at PIH will perform a thyroidectomy to relieve her symptoms and help her resume her vegetable business at full capacity. Now, Edina needs help to fund this $1,015 procedure. Edina says, “I feel so fortunate to get the opportunity for support. Thank you so much, I believe surgery will help me get back to normal life."

Srey Fa is a 7-year-old 2nd grader who lives in Svay Rieng province with her parents and two siblings. Her father works as a tuk tuk driver, and her mom sells groceries from a street side stall. Srey Fa is the youngest in the family and loves playing with her siblings and neighbors in the village. Her favorite subjects are Art and English. In the future, she would like to be an accountant or a teacher. Around four years ago, Srey Fa has been experiencing a sore throat and difficulty swallowing. She often misses school and skips meals due to the pain. Srey Fa was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause her symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $265 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Srey Fa, which is scheduled to take place on February 7th. Surgeons will remove her tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Srey Fa of her symptoms and helping her live much more comfortably. Her mother said, "I hope my daughter can breathe easier and stop the infections so she can stay in school."

Dalin is joyful sixth grader from Cambodia. She lives with her mom and younger brother. Sadly, her dad passed away few years ago. Dalin enjoys all her classes at school and wants to be a teacher when she grows up. In her free time, she likes to read books, eat Cambodian soup, and play with her friends. When Dalin was one year old, she accidentally burned her fingers with hot soup at home. Burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around the burns. She is unable to use her left hand and has difficulty playing games with her friends and holding objects. When Dalin learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for three and half hours seeking treatment. On February 19th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to restore function in her hand. Now, she needs $495 to fund this procedure. Dalin says, "I just want to be able to use my hand and fingers so I can play and not feel shy at school."